Occasionally students contact us asking if there is any required reading prior to the start of their course, or if we could recommend some texts to help them prepare for their first year. Below is a list of books that members of PAIR staff have recommended for students to read during the summer before their first year. While we obviously do not expect you to read all of these books, reading one or two will be a good preparation for your degree and will give you a taste of the kinds of topics you will study on your course.
General Politics
On Democracy, by Dahl
Why Politics Matter, by Stoker
In Defence of Politics, by Crick
A Novel Approach to Politics, by Van Belle and Marsh
If Only They Didn’t Speak English: Notes from Trump’s America, by Sopel
Public Policy
Nudge, by Thaler and Sunstein
Agendas and Instability in American Politics, by Baumgartner and Jones
International Relations
Theories of International Politics and Zombies, by Drezner
States and Markets, by Strange
Activists beyond Borders, by Keck and Sikkink
Political Theory
Political Philosophy, by Swift
On Liberty, by Mill
The Prince, by Machiavelli
Research Methods
Thinking Statistically, by Bram
Political History
The Cold War: A New History, by Gaddis
Ill Fares the Land, by Judt
