Leading at the Edge - 2nd Edition by Ben J S Maure (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Leading at the Edge: True Tales from Canadian Police in Peacebuilding and Peacekeeping Missions around the World is a collection of ten short biographical stories about the work of Canadian police peacebuilders and peacekeepers overseas, now available in an economic black and white edition.

Through the stories, the reader is transported to new and fledgling democracies such as Namibia, Croatia, Guatemala, Kosovo, East Timor, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Jerusalem, Afghanistan and Haiti. The book presents a digest of the experiences of the police officers and illustrates how they have positively influenced their host country in an attempt to make this world a safer and better place to live.

Leading at the Edge is a reference for anyone who loves history, travel, adventure and who has an interest in social science and criminology. It is also a reference for police officers, people interested in foreign diplomacy, international affairs, military affairs, criminal justice reforms, humanitarian work or for anyone who has an interest in peacekeeping. In this book, you will learn about the work of Canadian police peacekeepers in international

operations and vicariously experience their efforts through photographs provided by the peacekeepers themselves.

This book will demonstrate that peacebuilding and peacekeeping continue to be pillars for human security especially in light of recent worldwide attacks on democracy by terrorist groups. Canada and the rest of the world have a crucial role to play in helping those nations respect human rights, build up their economies and ensure they have the tools to fight back terrorism for the prosperity of their citizens.

Review Quotes

Peacekeeping forces really do (on average) keep the peace, and their valour and courage should earn them the medals, parades, and statues bestowed on other military heroes. In this engaging book, Ben Maure shows the human side of two of Canada's great contributions to the world: the Mounties and peacekeeping forces. - Professor Steven Pinker, Johnstone Professor of Psychology, Harvard University, and author of The Better Angels of Our Nature and Enlightenment Now

Instead of lecturing about the reality of international police operations, [Ben Maure] shares his personal experience and introduces the reader to the everyday reality of the globalization of security. For students of this crucial transition in world history where security moves from nations to the entire globe, this book offers not just analysis, but also unique personal experience. - Timo Kivimäki, Professor of International Relations, University of Bath

Leading at the Edge is a rich and original account of Canadian police officers' experiences of international conflict during the last three decades. Canada's police pride themselves in being highly expeditionary, able to deploy and help restore the rule of law in the most challenging of operational environments. Maure's work provides valuable insights that should inform future international peace support missions. - Dr. Edward Burke, Assistant Professor in International Relations, University of Nottingham

Leading at the Edge comes just when it is needed, providing a marvellous antidote to cynicism about the effectiveness-and even the need-for international peacekeeping ... Especially notable is that rather than viewing such activities from a distant, geopolitical perspective, Leading at the Edge invites us to experience and understand the human costs and courage that is involved. Bravo! - David P. Barash, Professor Emeritus, University of Washington, and author of Strength Through Peace

A useful and informative account of international police support for post-conflict democratic transitions, filled with anecdotes and insights on the

challenge of establishing locally-based and accountable police protection for communities threatened by armed conflict and criminal violence. - David Cortright, Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame

This is a must-read book for anyone who wants to understand peacekeeping and the complexity of the situations to which it is applied. - Professor Dennis Jett, Penn State University, Former US Ambassador to Mozambique

Extremely well written. Maure makes you feel as though you are along on one journey after another with some pretty incredible police officers doing peacekeeping work in the most difficult of circumstances ... You can't read it without feeling proud. - Darryl Plecas, Professor Emeritus and former RCMP Senior University Research Chair, University of the Fraser Valley

Out of the spectre of human revitalization in the troubled places of the world, Insp. Maure has created an insightful chronicle of what it means to be a police peacekeeper ... The historical vignettes he has assembled and his accounting of some of the most important missions in the modern era is a seminal piece of the peacekeeping literature of our time. - Len Babin, Former RCMP Superintendent, Canadian Police Contingent Commander, MINUGUA 1998