Realism and International Relations offers students a critical yet sympathetic review of political realism, the theory which for the last half-century has dominated the study of international studies. Examining realist thinkers from Thucydides, through Machiavelli to Kenneth Waltz, Donnelly challenges standard realist claims and argues that realism is an insightful yet one-sided theory. Containing chapter-by-chapter guides to further reading and discussion questions for students, this book offers an accessible and lively survey of the dominant theory in International Relations.