'In this impressively informative book, Gillespie attempts to lead the reader through a brief history of commercial whaling, the creation and development of the key international bodies addressing whaling, and the ethical and political dilemmas that make this topic both so revealing and so important to the development of international law. The quest is epic and auspicious. Against the odds, Gillespie manages to capture the substance and the essence of the debate, along with the full attention of the reader . . . As the title promises, Gillespie provides a detailed, carefully documented account of whaling diplomacy. In the process of contributing to our understanding of the legal regime on whaling, however, he also draws our attention to the relationship between whaling law and international environmental law and the importance of viewing international environmental issues within a broader political, legal and ethical context. In all of these ways, the book adds to our understanding of the complexity of developing, implementing and maintaining effective international environmental laws in an ever-changing political and natural environment.'