TY - JOUR AU - Risse-Kappen, Thomas AB - BOOK REVIEWS | 551 ling) portrait of Zhirinovsky the man. An audience in search of empirical examples of Zhiri­ novsky’s manifold stunts and shenanigans will be amply satisfied. However, those seeking a more analytical portrait along the lines of a David Remnick or Stephen Handleman will be dismayed by the repeated forays into reductive psychological explanations, and the irri­ tating and self-conscious practice of incorporating quotes from literature and philosophy (most often embarrassingly out of context) into the narrative of the text. Finally, in their attempt to forge a linear narrative of Zhirinovsky’s rise, the authors employ the Russian concept of vozhd (leader) as “key to understanding Zhirinovsky and his successes” (p. 19). According to them, Zhirinovsky’s appeal can be traced to fulfilling the vozhd’s central responsibilities: order, strength, and decisive leadership. Yet their sloppy employment throughout the text of this conceptually rich historical term ends up not only confusing the reader, but marring their overall analysis of Zhirinovsky’s development. After reading their text, one feels that the idea of some eternal Russian need for domination and authority should be at last put to rest. Leonard Benardo Open Society Institute-New York Democracy and International Conflict: An Evaluation of the TI - Democracy and International Conflict: An Evaluation of the Democratic Peace Proposition, by James Lee Ray JF - Political Science Quarterly DO - 10.2307/2151993 DA - 1996-09-15 UR - https://www.deepdyve.com/lp/oxford-university-press/democracy-and-international-conflict-an-evaluation-of-the-democratic-DoszMbop2x SP - 551 EP - 552 VL - 111 IS - 3 DP - DeepDyve ER -