A thoroughly revised and updated edition of Professor Shaw's popular textbook on international law. The third edition includes a new chapter on International Environmental Law, as well as taking account of the most significant developments in the past five years, such as the Kuwait crisis, the personality and responsibility of international organizations and the growth of international human rights law. Written in a clear and highly readable style, this work provides nevertheless a comprehensive introduction to international law. It sets the subject firmly in the context of world political events and brings out the importance of the many political, cultural and economic influences that affect international law. The book successfully bridges the gap between a short introduction and a major, exhaustive treatise.