The era of globalization has produced significant changes in the borderland issues of trade, security, economics, health, and even the environment. While borders may seem more permeable than they once were, can it really be said that we live in a "borderless world"? Holding the Line considers the changing roles of modern borders, contending that they not only remain relevant but also have become increasingly important as a site for negotiating the competing demands of globalization and national sovereignty.

Heather N. Nicol is a political geographer whose work explores the structure and operation of the Canada–US border, with special emphasis on the impacts of security and sovereignty. Among her publications are Beyond Walls: Reinventing the Canada–US Borderlands and Holding the Line: Border in a Global World. She is also interested in the circumpolar North as a geopolitical space, and the relationship between the interests of nation-states and indigenous peoples in the North.

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The book will stand on its own, without rivals, in the way it tackles the theme.

Julian V. Minghi, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Department of Geography, University of South Carolina, and co-editor of The Geography of Border Landscapes