Let me start by delving into Philippe Sands.  Mr. Sands is associated with the Foundation for International Environmental Law and Development and the Project on International Courts and Tribunals.  Phillipe Sands has ties to two barristers chambers.  He has taught law at University College London, Boston University, and NYU.  He knows his stuff and has ties to both sides of the ocean.

I am not a big legal buff, nor would I pretend to be.  At heart, LAWLESS WORLD is an exceptionally well written and detailed guide to international law.  There are many appendixes that display the UN charter, Declaration of Human Rights, Geneva Convention, Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court Agreement, NAFTA, Advice on Military Action Against Iraq, and even the original Atlantic Charter written in 1941.  It is interesting to read these documents, even though some are hard for the layperson to understand.

In LAWLESS WORLD, Phillipe Sands looks at some cases throughout recent years where both Britain and the U.S. have either followed or disobeyed International laws.  The book highlights the history of international law, trial of Pinochet, events of September 11th, and then Tony Blair and George Bush's disregard for the "rules" regarding international law during the invasion of Iraq as they supposedly felt the old rules needed to be rewritten to fit in with terrorism today.

LAWLESS WORLD is not a simple read.  It requires some time.  I can see the book fascinating lawyers and law students.  The information is presented in an honest manner, but it does have some legal terminology that can be hard for some to follow.