Giampiero Giacomello is associate professor of international relations at the University of Bologna.Bertjan Verbeek is chair and professor of international relations at Radboud University.

“Pioneers in the revival of the concept of Middle Power, Giacomello and Verbeek offer a valuable and wide-ranging collection of country case studies. Theoretically eclectic and empirically rich, the individual chapters cover states in the Middle East, Europe, and East Asia, introducing concepts such as ‘niche power’ and ‘regional pivot’, and exploring issue areas from naval power and energy security to banking, environmental policy, humanitarian aid, and military intervention. Given the authors’ claim that the number of Middle Powers has grown even in the last decade, this volume should be of interest to scholars of comparative foreign policy and international politics.”

• Introduction: Middle Powers as the Ugly Duckling of International Relations Theory - Giampiero Giacomello and Bertjan VerbeekChapter 1: Maritime Power as the Quintessential Source of Middle Power StatusDavide GhermandiChapter 2: ‘Peaceful nature,’ Norwegians Believe It, But Do Others Too? The Effects of National Role Conceptions on Public Diplomacy and Nation BrandingBoaz de RooijChapter 3: Aspiring and Reluctant Middle Powers? Italy’s and Germany’s Defense Reforms after the Cold WarFabrizio Coticchia and Francesco MoroChapter 4: Germany and Japan: Great or Middle Powers in Global Banking Regulation? - Sara KonoeChapter 5: South Korea’s Role as an Emerging Middle Power amongst Security ConcernsMarco Milani and Federica de PantzChapter 6: From Regionalism to Realpolitik: The Rise and Fall of Turkey as a Middle Power in the Middle EastAylin Gürzel and Eyüp ErsoyChapter 7: Iran from Revolutionary to Behavioral Middle Power. Understanding the Effects of the Joint Comprehensiv