Emma Leonard and Gilbert Ramsay's edited volume is a useful and timely contribution to the often ignored issue of how Somalia's conflict has been globalised. The book examines the globalising effects of famine, piracy and extremism. It also discusses the roles that multiple actors play in advancing or resisting this phenomenon.

Globalizing Somalia is made up of four sections, each dealing with a particular trend. Seaman, in the first chapter, explains the history of failed interventions in the 1990s. From a similar perspective, Sandstrom questions the motive of George Bush senior for sending tens of thousands of American troops, arguing that Washington wanted to test the ‘New World Order’ vision. This is followed by Section 2 which analyses the trends that are apparent within those that claim to resist the West's hegemonic presence in the country. Two of the three chapters in this section discuss the instrumentalisation of extremism for political ends. Peter Hane attempts to ground his arguments on social movement theory. He argues that Al-Shabaab's decision to join Al-Qaeda may bring short-term benefits to the organisation, but the same move will have long-term negative consequences for the organisation and Somalia as a whole. Malet, Priest and Staggs, on the other hand, examine the foreign fighters' involvement in Somalia. They note the problematic application of this concept, conceding to the fact that the majority of the so-called foreign fighters are not, in fact, foreign.

In addition, Lehr provides a comprehensive account of the complex issue of piracy in the Horn of Africa waters. He argues that most of the policy responses have short-term utilities, but the best way to address this is to deal with it at the root cause and on-shore level. Section 3 explains the policies of several prominent actors, such as the United States, the European Union, Japan and China and how they have responded to the Somali conflict. Stig Hansen's chapter on the geopolitics of the Horn of Africa is particularly useful as it gives a broad overview of the conflict and its implications for the region. The final section is a reflection on the current historical trends. Walls and Kipple provide an interesting account on interventions in Somalia. The authors reject what some called ‘constructive disengagement’ and argue that there were instances when interventions helped, albeit with heavy qualifications. In the last concluding chapter, Emma Leonard and Gilbert Ramsay explain how the Somali conflict is similar to others in the African region, particularly that of Congo.

Despite its many useful contributions to the theories, policies and practices of the Somali conflict, the book, like any other, has its limitations. I have observed one important oversight. Most of the authors seem to endorse the integration of Somalia to the region even though they are aware of the fact that the country does not have a functioning central state. This means Somali clans and regions would become part of the region, not the Somali state that is equal to its peers. While famine, piracy and extremism have been used as a justification, many of the actors examined are involved in almost all issues in Somalia – constitution-making, security sector development, establishing regions, delivering health and education services. Neighbouring countries have direct relations with different Somali entities. In other words, unlike other countries in the region, there is not one area that is domestically governed which is immune to external meddling. I think this is an oversight as it would have been useful to analyse the implications of the loss of the sovereignty of the nation. Does this mean Somali clans would become autonomous communities of neighbouring countries? This is a debate that some Somali academics have engaged for the last decade. This book could have done more to address this issue.

That said, the book is an excellent addition to Somali studies. It could serve as a supplementary text for those that are teaching courses on Africa. Moreover, the book is useful for policy makers as there are many relevant policy discussions. I encourage those interested in the area to read the volume.