The sovereignty dispute over the Falkland (Malvinas) Islands /

A tremendously useful contribution to what appears to be a new genre in international legal analysis initiated in International Incidents, ed. by W. Michael Reisman and Andrew R. Willard (1988). Gustafson conducted his research primarily in Argentina, a fact that may account for his apparent support of Argentina's claims to the Malvinas, or the Falklands--as the British call these islands off the Argentinean coast. The dispute over the islands' sovereignty erupted into open warfare in 1982. The author traces the history of the islands and their occupation to provide the historical background for the affiliation by Great Britain and Argentina to claim the international legal principles of self-determination and sovereignty. The conflict is made more political by the discovery of oil in the sea off the islands. The extensive bibliography makes the book worthwhile in itself. A necessary addition to any collection dealing with contemporary problems of international law or to international relations in general. Highly recommended for upper-division undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty. -S. R. Silverburg, Catawba College