It's about time that modern world history courses are brought up to date and this is a great example of the IB handling this in the new history curriculum. Martin Cannon handles the material with aplomb, giving an excellent background to the complexities of the Rwandan genocide as well as the creation of the Yugoslav state… The activities and documentary source are varied and engaging, allowing the student to proceed through the material buildings skills and technique in an absorbing manner. I particularly like the selection of many quotations, the quality of the political cartoons and the overall manner in which the author engages with the reader, taking them on a roller coaster ride through some of the complexities of the late twentieth century case studies, allowing an exploration of the themes. The book is beautifully laid out, clear and compelling and should be an excellent guide for the discerning learner.

• 1: Case Study 1: Rwanda, 1990-1998 1.1: Africa in the late 19th century: European 1.2: Colonial Rwanda, 1884-1962 1.3: Rwanda from independence to civil war, 1962-1990 1.4: The last years of the Habyarimana regime: Civil War, 1990-1994 1.5: The assassination of presidents Habyarimana and Ntaryamira, April 1994 1.6: Course and interventions: The genocide begins 1.7: The impact of the genocide 2: Case Study 2: Kosovo, 1989-2002 2.1: The causes of the conflict 2.2: Yugoslavia under Tito, 1945-1980 2.3: The decade of change: Yugoslavia, 1980-1989 2.4: The disintegration of Yugoslavia, 1990-1995 2.5: Course and interventions: The actions of the KLA, the Serbian government, the police and the military 2.6: The NATO bombing campaign: Operation 2.7: The impact of the war: Social and economic consequences

It's about time that modern world history courses are brought up to date and this is a great example of the IB handling this in the new history curriculum. Martin Cannon handles the material with aplomb, giving an excellent background to the complexities of the Rwandan genocide as well as the creation of the Yugoslav state… The activities and documentary source are varied and engaging, allowing the student to proceed through the material buildings skills and technique in an absorbing manner. I particularly like the selection of many quotations, the quality of the political cartoons and the overall manner in which the author engages with the reader, taking them on a roller coaster ride through some of the complexities of the late twentieth century case studies, allowing an exploration of the themes. The book is beautifully laid out, clear and compelling and should be an excellent guide for the discerning learner.

• 1: Case Study 1: Rwanda, 1990-1998 1.1: Africa in the late 19th century: European 1.2: Colonial Rwanda, 1884-1962 1.3: Rwanda from independence to civil war, 1962-1990 1.4: The last years of the Habyarimana regime: Civil War, 1990-1994 1.5: The assassination of presidents Habyarimana and Ntaryamira, April 1994 1.6: Course and interventions: The genocide begins 1.7: The impact of the genocide 2: Case Study 2: Kosovo, 1989-2002 2.1: The causes of the conflict 2.2: Yugoslavia under Tito, 1945-1980 2.3: The decade of change: Yugoslavia, 1980-1989 2.4: The disintegration of Yugoslavia, 1990-1995 2.5: Course and interventions: The actions of the KLA, the Serbian government, the police and the military 2.6: The NATO bombing campaign: Operation 2.7: The impact of the war: Social and economic consequences