The numerous volumes in the series Historical Dictionaries of Religions, Philosophies and Movements have hitherto been devoted mainly to the first of these two categories, but this latest example has its origins in politics and economics. The dual title is necessary because, while many Third World countries belong to the Non‐aligned Movement, the two have never been synonymous. The Third World was taken to encompass all countries which were not allies of the USA or the Soviet Union: the Non‐aligned Movement comprised only those countries which had formally joined the association founded at the Bandung Conference of 1955 and which deliberately sought via media between the two superpowers. Cynics in the West often saw it as leaning towards the Soviet side, and, indeed, even some members of the Movement questioned the non‐alignment of countries such as Cuba. It may be significant that out of the ten statesmen with entries in the book, only two were democrats, the others being at best, rulers of one‐party states, and at worst, dictators. But the critical attitude of these countries to the West was certainly conditioned by the fact that most of them had previously been colonies of its leading powers.
The Dictionary comprises 200 articles, some as long as 3,000 words, describing important countries, organisations, conferences, treaties, and personalities, together with general topics such as Aid, Corruption, or Debt. It must be admitted that many of the topics included will inevitably be covered by other reference books on related fields, and libraries considering purchasing this one must weigh up how many they already posses.
The supplementary material includes and Introduction giving a useful overview of the subject; a list of abbreviations (which are much in evidence); a map of the First, Second and Third Worlds; a Chronology up to 2005; and a broadly classified and up to date bibliography of about 400 books and periodical articles, which however excludes websites. Its references to the many publications of international organisations are less detailed than might have been expected in a field of study where these are particularly significant. There is no index, but numerous cross‐references are included.
The text of the Dictionary provides a great deal of food for thought. As the author remarks, without the Cold war there would have been neither a “Third World” nor a “Non‐aligned Movement” in their literal senses, but most of the problems of these countries, originating from poverty, would still have existed. The Cold War may have benefited most of them, for it gave the contending superpowers a compelling reason to send aid to those they wished to influence.
But the conflict was a burden to countries in which the superpowers chose to fight each other by proxy. The author considers that nowadays the problems of the Third World should be seen in terms of North‐South tensions, compounded by the effects of globalisation, shortages of natural resources, and growing environmental difficulties. “Poverty and the manipulation of the poor by the rich”, he trenchantly declares, “are central to the world's current problems … The world community possesses the capacity and means to bridge the gap, but apparently not the political will”. Not all his readers may agree with his opinions on these matters, but all those interested will learn much from his description of them.
