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Andrew Linklater’s Violence and Civilization in the Western States-System is to be both praised and critiqued for opening spaces for discussing civilisational standards in the era of a globalising world. It offers a healthy provocation for inquiry into how non-Western states ought to comprehend the legacies of Western political evolution colouring existing ‘IR’ as a discipline. Linklater’s book inspires three thematic reactions: globalisation does bring harm; the notion of a universal civilisation remains open to debate; and the possibilities of civilising patterns in premodern Southeast Asia serving as supplementary mirrors and extensions of the relationship between violence and civilisation. It is suggested that Linklater’s sequel must consider the trajectory of non-Western sociologies of IR. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A review of several articles, which includes "The ruling elite of Singapore: Networks of power and influence" by Michael D. Barr, "Goh Keng Swee: A legacy of public service" by Emrys Chew, and Chong Guan Kwa, and "We also served: Reflections of Singapore's former PAP MPs" by Chiang Hai Ding and Rohan Kamis.