Interpreting British Governance. By Mark Bevir and R. A. W. Rhodes. New York: Routledge, 2003. 256p. $150.00 cloth, $40.95 paper.

Those tempted to pick up this volume and read a straightforward and unambiguous analysis of British governance in the modern era should consider the following: By the seventh page of the introductory chapter, the authors are engaged in a discussion of the contributions of Michel Foucault to postmodern and interpretive theory (giant, by the way), while narry a drop of ink has been spilled about either Britain or governance. In fact, this book will be of interest to many political scientists who are less than interested in the substantive case, but who are engaged in reflections about the epistemological characteristics of modern political science and the ontological claims that it makes. Interpreting British Governance is a fascinating entry into the debates that are raging in our profession, and it stakes out a clear set of claims in unequivocal terms.