State failure takes many forms. Somalia offers one extreme. A collapse of central authority as the outcome of a prolonged civil war, where authority descends into competing factions -- headed by warlords -- around the spoils of local commerce, power and international aid. At the other end of the...

Introduction: the dilemmas of aid -- The state of aid -- The strategic imperative -- The advisory business -- Making peace -- Delivering military assistance -- Building economies amidst conflict -- Conditionality and ownership -- Dreams of a Marshall plan -- Addressing the infrastructure deficit...