Great Power Rivalries, edited by William R. Thompson, concentrates on major interstate rivalries of the past 500 years, ranging from the rivalry between Britain and France to the cold-war rivalry of the United States and the Soviet Union. In thirteen case studies, the contributors focus on strategic competition, paying particular attention to the transition from commercial to strategic rivalry.

Each case study, in conjunction with other arguments, answers a common set of questions pertaining to the rivalry's life cycle, stakes, escalatory dynamics, priority in the foreign policy agendas of its decision-makers, and intersections with other rivalries. Great Power Rivalries makes significant strides in illuminating the rivalry process - an understanding crucial to managing conflict in a violent world.