At the junction of three great continents and oceanic trade routes that link the cities of the world, the Persian Gulf, like a magnet, has pulled powerful nations into its waters and adjacent lands for centuries. This study examines the contested history for control of the Gulf and its resources, concentrating on Portugal, Holland, Britain, and the United States, and concludes with a look at possible future involvement by India and China. The contributors'...

Why do great powers accommodate the rise of some challengers but contain and confront others, even at the risk of war? When Right Makes Might proposes that the ways in which a rising power legitimizes its expansionist aims significantly shapes great power responses. Stacie E. Goddard theorizes that when faced with a new challenger, great powers will attempt to divine the challenger's intentions: does it pose a revolutionary threat to the system or...

When Emma and Noah find a mysterious box of toys on the beach, strange things start happening. The kids develop special powers and with their parents and teachers, they realize that their mission is far more important than they had ever dreamed.

Black Gold and Blackmail seeks to explain why great powers adopt such different strategies to protect their oil access from politically motivated disruptions. In extreme cases, such as Imperial Japan in 1941, great powers fought wars to grab oil territory in anticipation of a potential embargo by the Allies; in other instances, such as Germany in the early Nazi period, states chose relatively subdued measures like oil alliances or domestic policies...

Michelle "Mac" Mackenzie, a super-human "Greater-Than" with unique abilities, teams up with a former Navy SEAL Shane Laughlin to stop the spread of a highly addictive drug called Destiny, which gives anyone the same abilities as a "Greater-Than."

What good is finding lost bicycles and hair scrunchies, if when you return them to their owners they think you must have stolen them in the first place? Ezekiel Blast's friend Beth thinks there must be some way to use his "micropower" for good. And so does a police detective investigating the disappearance of a little girl. When tragedy strikes, it's up to Ezekiel to use his talent to find what matters most.