Looking for info (timeline + book)

[Sytze]

Since two months, I am making an essay. The subject -and main question- of this essay is:
"To what extend has the use of veto (UN) developed from 1975 to present time?"

After some digging in the Uni's library, some respected internet sites and a few encyclopaedias, I'm kind off stuck. I found a couple of books and articles which explain in detail which country used its veto-right at what time and occasion.
But I also need to know what important events took place in the last 25 years in order to answer my main question. Since there are no books in “our” library that cover that subject and time (the history is still too “recent”), I'm searching for an internet site with a (global) timeline that will give me an indication about recent occurrences. Now, of course I can probably look everything up, but I fear that it will consume an enormous amount of time and leaves me with the possibility that I'm forgetting something.


Another thing I'm looking for is an internet site which comments on books. For example, I'm using small parts of this book for my essay:
"A.V. Patil, The UN veto in world affairs, 1946-1990 : a complete record and case histories of the Security Council's veto."
I'm wondering if I can really use this book for my essay, if the writer and presented information are credible enough, etc. So I'm looking for a site that more or less answers these questions about a book:
-How did the writer order his book?
-How does the writer present his conclusions/results?
-How does the writer justify his conclusions/results? (Did he do his own research or did he copy someone else's)
-Are there elements in the book, which the writer regards as essential or new?

As you can see, I'm not really looking for a summary (although it would be handy ), but more for info concerning the way the writer presented the information in his book, if it is credible information, etc.


So, in short, these are my two questions:
1) Does anyone know an internet site which contains a timeline of the events which took place in the last 25 years? A site with a timeline of the last 50 years is fine as well, as long as I know which important events took place in the last 25 years.
2) Does anyone know a site with information about (comments on) books?


- I thank you in advance. I actually thought it would be wise to ask this sort of questions for information now and here.
Here, because most people know how to look for info on the internet faster and better than me.
Now, because I'm quite sure that the result which I get -if I get them- will serve me well in future projects also.

[Georgi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sytze So, in short, these are my two questions: 1) Does anyone know an internet site which contains a timeline of the events which took place in the last 25 years? A site with a timeline of the last 50 years is fine as well, as long as I know which important events took place in the last 25 years. 2) Does anyone know a site with information about (comments on) books?

Does your uni have access to academic journals, either online or hard copies? The best place to look for reviews of that book would be in journals like History, Journal of Modern History, Journal of Contemporary History etc. I guess there are politics ones as well that might have it but I don't know them as well. You should be able to do a search for reviews, or try looking through the ones in the year the book was published.

As for the timeline, I don't know any site that would have something that wideranging. I would have thought if you know which countries used their veto rights when and for what, you could research those specific events further - that would give you the relevant events to answer the question.

A quick Google did come up with this site if that is the kind of thing you're looking for. Just Google "20th century history timeline" and see what else there is.

[Sytze]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Georgi Does your uni have access to academic journals, either online or hard copies? The best place to look for reviews of that book would be in journals like History, Journal of Modern History, Journal of Contemporary History etc. I guess there are politics ones as well that might have it but I don't know them as well. You should be able to do a search for reviews, or try looking through the ones in the year the book was published.

We have access to a variety of journals and biographies, but so far I have not found any reviews. Perhaps I'm simply not looking right, perhaps I don't have access to it, or perhaps our uni does not yet have reviews. I'm guessing it is a mixture of the first two, because a uni without reviews of their books seems odd. I'll do some more research in the online catalogs.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Georgi As for the timeline, I don't know any site that would have something that wideranging. I would have thought if you know which countries used their veto rights when and for what, you could research those specific events further - that would give you the relevant events to answer the question.

That is true, but a veto is not used every year (in the 90's there were a lot of years in which a veto has not been used). So even if there is a major international event, that does not mean there's automatically a veto involved in the decision making. For example, there has not been a Security Council veto on the war in Irak (see this link). What I'm trying to discover, is if there is a "red-line" that determines the use of veto. For example, Russia used most of its veto-right in the Cold War era and China barely uses its veto, unless there's an event that involves Taiwan.
So I'm researching if the international events determine the veto behaviour of the major five in the Security Council.


But thank you for your reply and the link you provided Georgi. Upon a quick look, this might be helpful.