The glass wall: lives on the Baltic frontier

Abstract

present Baltic Sea subsystem; nevertheless, scholars of Nordic security will be interested in this glance at the opposite shore of the Baltic Sea. No matter how you choose to organize a volume, there will always be both drawbacks and advantages. In this case, the choice to organize the analysis into chapters that mix event history with the historical development of each of the main actors’ perspectives and interests results in some repetition and, at times, a confusing script. This organization, however, allows for the chapters to be read selectively if one is only interested in a certain aspect, rather than the analysis as a whole. Moreover, the book is not always a good read. Some sections flow freely, but in others, sentences are too short and finish abruptly. A second proofread would have been needed. The book may be recommended as a basis for understanding the development of the Euro-Atlantic security community. At present, this is going through yet another change with the Russian–Ukrainian war and the likely entrance of Sweden and Finland into NATO. Since both Sweden and Finland, as small states, are part of the Baltic Sea security subregion, this is likely to have an impact on the Baltic states. Scholars of international relations will take an interest in the implicit theoretical framework that can be extended to the relationship between Ukraine and Russia before the outbreak of the war. Scholars of Baltic studies will also take an interest in the book for the perspective on Baltic vulnerabilities, and for those with political inclinations, the book offers interesting policy suggestions likely to be debated.