Fully revised to incorporate recent developments in world politics, the second edition of Understanding Global Security analyzes the variety of ways in which people's lives are threatened and/or secured in contemporary global politics. The traditional focus of Security Studies texts - war, deterrence and terrorism - are analyzed alongside non-military security issues such as famine, crime, disease, disasters, environmental degredation and human rights abuses to provide a comprehensive survey of how and why people are killed in the contemporary world.

New features to this edition include:

• analysis of key international political events of recent years such as the War in Iraq, Hurricane Katrina and the Israeli incursion into Lebanon
• recent developments in the proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) and the `war against terror'
• new data on deaths attributable to global warming and the contribution played by this in `securitizing' the issue on the agendas of sceptical states
• examinations of `lifestyle illnesses', largely spread by the diffusion of Western culture, like smoking or diabetes
• greater analysis of recent diplomatic and institutional developments in the area of security: the Human Security Network and the UN Commission on Human Security.

User friendly and easy to follow, this textbook is designed to make a complex subject accessible to all. Key features include:

• `top ten' tables highlighting the most destructive events or forms of death in that area throughout history
• boxed descriptions elaborating key concepts in the field of security and International Relations
• `biographical boxes' of key individuals who have shaped world events
• further reading and websites at the end of each chapter guiding you towards the most up-to-date information on various topics
• glossary of political terminology.

This highly acclaimed and popular academic text will continue to be essential reading for everyone interested in security.