Wilhelm G. Grewe's work, published in 1984, is a seminal text in international law. This revised translation by Michael Byers makes it accessible to non-German readers for the first time. The book offers a comprehensive theoretical overview and detailed historical analysis of international law, spanning from the Middle Ages through significant periods such as the Age of Discovery, the Thirty Years War, the Napoleonic era, the Treaty of Versailles, the Cold War, and the Age of the Single Superpower. Grewe's insights are informed by his extensive experience as a diplomat and professor of international law. A new chapter, co-authored by Grewe and Byers, brings the content up to date as of October 1998, enhancing its relevance for German international lawyers, scholars of international relations, and historians. Grewe, a prominent diplomat, served as West German ambassador to Washington, Tokyo, and NATO, and was a member of the International Court of Arbitration in The Hague. He later became a professor of International Law at the University of Freiburg and is celebrated as one of Germany's foremost legal scholars. Grewe passed away in January 2000, while Byers is a distinguished academic at Duke University, with a background in comparative public law and international law.
