Jaroslav Tir is Professor of Political Science at the University of Colorado Boulder and author of over two dozen scholarly studies on domestic and international armed conflicts, conflict management, territorial disputes, environmental security and cooperation, and rally around the flag dynamics. He is also a recipient of National Science Foundation and Fulbright grants.

Johannes Karreth is Assistant Professor of Politics and International Relations at Ursinus College in Collegeville, Pennsylvania. His research focuses on international organizations, military interventions, and political violence. Additional scholarly work includes analyses of how voters respond to changes in the landscape of political parties and immigration.

"Th[is] book significantly advance[s] our understanding of the determinants of peace in conflict-affected countries." -- Susanna P.Campbell, American University, Perspectives on Politics

"The book, through sophisticated research, clearly demonstrates that conflict escalation can be prevented if a country is connected to HSIGOs." -- Erich P. Schellhammer, Royal Roads University, The Canadian Journal of Peace and Conflict Studies