Buzan and Waever argue that regional patterns of security are increasingly important in international politics. They present a detailed account of relations between global powers, but emphasise their relations with the regional security complexes which make up the contemporary international system. They analyse Africa, the Balkans, Eastern and Wester Europe, East Asia, the Middle East, North America and South Asia, tracing the history of each region, as well as its present characteristics. This book thus offers a, authoritative, comprehensive and up-to-date picture of world security after the Cold War.