Tom Lansford is a professor of political science at the University of Southern Mississippi, Gulf Coast, and served as academic dean from 2009 to 2014. His research interests include foreign and security policy and the U.S. presidency. Dr. Lansford is the author or editor or coeditor of more than 50 books and the author of more than 100 essays, book chapters, encyclopedic entries, and reviews. His notable books include A Bitter Harvest: U.S. Foreign Policy and Afghanistan (2003), Historical Dictionary of U.S. Diplomacy since the Cold War (2007), and 9/11 and the Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq: A Chronology and Reference Guide (2011). His edited collections include America’s War on Terror (2003; second edition 2009), Judging Bush (2009), The Obama Presidency: A Preliminary Assessment (2012), A Transformation in American National Politics: The 2012 Presidential Election (2016), Leadership and Legacy: The Presidency of Barack Obama (2021). Dr. Lansford has served as the co-editor of the journal White House Studies since 2010 and the editor of Political Handbook of the World since 2012.

• Preface - LansfordAfghanistanAlbaniaAlgeriaAndorraAngolaAntarcticaAntigua and BarbudaArgentinaArmeniaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBhutanBoliviaBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswanaBrazilBruneiBulgariaBurkina FasoBurundiCambodiaCameroonCanadaCape VerdeCentral African RepublicChadChileChina/People′s Republic & TaiwanColombiaComoro IslandsCosta RicaCote d′IvoireCroatiaCubaCyprusCyprus Turkish SectorCzech RepublicDemocratic Republic of the CongoDenmarkDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaEthiopiaFijiFinlandFranceGabonGambiaGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGreeceGrenadaGuatemalaGuineaGuinea-BissauGuyanaHaitiHondurasHungaryIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIranIraqIrelandIsraelItalyJamaicaJapanJordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiKoreaKosovoKuwaitKyrgyzstanLaosLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMacedoniaMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMaltaMashall IslandsMauritaniaMauritiusMexicoMicronesia, Federated States ofMoldovaMonacoMongoliaMontenegroMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmar (Burma)NamibiaNauruNepalNetherlandsNetherlands/ArubaNetherlands/CuracaoNetherlands/St. MaartenNew ZealandNicaraguaNigerNigeriaNorwayOmanPakistanPalauPalestinian Authority/Palestine Liberation OrganizationPanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPolandPortugualQatarRepublic of the CongoRomaniaRussiaRwandaSamoaSan MarinoSao Tome and PrincipeSaudi ArabiaSenegalSerbiaSeychellesSierra LeoneSingaporeSlovakiaSloveniaSolomon IslandsSomaliaSomalilandSouth AfricaSouth SudanSpainSri LankaSt. Kitts and NevisSt. LuciaSt. Vincent and the GrenadinesSudanSurinameSwazilandSwedenSwitzerlandSyriaTajikistanTanzaniaThailandTimor-Leste (East Timor)TogoTongaTrinidad and TobagoTunisiaTurkeyTurkmenistanTuvaluUgandaUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited Kingdom & TerritoriesUnited Kingdom, Northern IrelandUnited States and Related TerritoriesUruguayUzbekistanVanuatuVatican City StateVenezuelaVietnamYemenZambiaZimbabweIntergovernmental OrganizationsIntergovernmental Organizations, UN only

"...The Political Handbook of the World is the standard reference that serious researchers turn to for this type of information. It is authoritative and exhaustive offering unique in-depth coverage of the topics treated. Both academic libraries supporting political science curricula as well as larger public libraries where there are patrons interested in international affairs will want it in their collection...."