"John Dumbrell and Axel Shafer have brought together a group of scholars who are on the proverbial ‘cutting edge’ of recent scholarship on U. S. foreign policy, alliances, and ‘special’ relationships. The result is a collection of essays that makes for required reading for those who want to understand the recent past and likely future of America’s role in world politics."David M. Barrett, Professor of Political Science, Villanova University‘We have often been told the world is being turned upside down. Now this old cliché may well be coming true. China's rapid rise, the world economic crisis, Europe's apparent inability to find a clear voice of its own, and America's many troubles - made all the more poignant by the election of the most capable American President in years - makes this fine study on America's many special relationships particularly timely. A new world is in the making where traditional ties might be becoming increasingly less important to policy-makers in Washington and it is about time that we in Europe got used to the fact that we are all perhaps special no longer.’Professor Michael Cox, Co-Director IDEAS and Department of International Relations, London School of Economics.