History and International Relations examines, from a historian's perspective, the evolution of international relations as a discipline and charts its engagement with the history of war, peace, and foreign relations from the ancient world to the present day. In three parts, it looks at the field's development, its contribution to historical narrative, and its contemporary practice:

Part I: 'The History of a Discipline' locates the development of IR scholarship in its own historical contexts, examining the origin of dominant IR theories, their use of historical evidence, and their relation to other social science disciplines.

Part II: 'IR and International History' explores key moments in the history of war and peace, from the Peloponnesian War to the Cold War and beyond, and the role they played in constructing the discipline.

Part III: 'Contemporary IR and the Uses of History' reflects on the current ferment in IR over its Eurocentric theory and practice, its key concepts of state and sovereignty, the impact of non-state actors and human rights, and 'the return of history.