As the UK leaves the European Union and as the multilateral order is increasingly under stress, bilateral security links are more important than ever. Among such relationships, the UK-France partnership has become particularly critical in the past decades. Alice Pannier's Rivals in Arms reveals the history of the growing special partnership between Europe's two leading military powers in the twenty-first century. Using an innovative analytical framework rooted in theories of cooperation and negotiation, this book exposes the challenges the two countries have faced to develop, equip, and employ their military capabilities together. Through a decade-long study, Pannier highlights how France and the UK have endeavoured to make their partnership more effective and resistant to domestic and international shifts, including Brexit. Building on more than one hundred interviews with key stakeholders and unmatched access to primary sources, Rivals in Arms takes the reader behind the scenes, investigating the complicated but crucial defence relationship between France and the UK - a relationship that is critical to the future of Euro-Atlantic security.

Alice Pannier is assistant professor of European studies and international relations at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies and associate research fellow at the French Institute for International Relations.

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“Rivals in Arms is recommended for a primarily academic audience with an interest in IR theory, contemporary military affairs, and European politics and diplomacy.” The Northern Mariner / Le marin du nord

“Rivals in Arms establishes the complex relation between bilateral cooperation and multilateral settings through a robust framework of analysis. It also offers a rich narrative of Anglo-French inner-state and inter-state learning, so often unintelligible to outside observers. Although published in 2020, before successive challenges rocked the boundaries of the European and transatlantic security frameworks, the book will continue to appeal to those with an interest in European security and state decision-making on defence.” Modern & Contemporary France

"Rivals in Arms makes a strong theoretical argument about how special relationships emerge and why they matter. Written in an elegant and engaging style, this compelling book makes a major contribution to research and shows an impressive grasp of the material." Frédéric Mérand, Université de Montréal

“This book is a timely reminder of how far the British and French have come over the past decade in surmounting obstacles to collaboration. Successes in force planning and the nuclear realm could serve as templates for future cooperation even if the entente between Downing Street and the Elysée remains less than cordiale.” International Affairs

“Alice Pannier provides a comprehensive overview and in-depth study of the relationship between France and the UK. The shift back towards bilateral relationships in European security and defence with the focus on Franco-British cooperation is a very welcomed addition to the literature. The book will not only appeal to academics and advanced students of European security and defence, but specifically also to experts and policymakers who are interested in deepening their knowledge and understandings of this special relationship.” European Security

“Pannier offers a substantial contribution to the literature on the UK-France relations in the realm of defence given that the Brexit environment opens new avenues for the research. The author successfully extends the theoretical assumptions of bilateral relations and emphasizes their importance when it comes to defence matters in a world of swaying multilateral commitments.” Journal of Contemporary European Studies