For all the claims of globalization, says Robert A. Pastor, a handful of countries still define the world at the end of the 20th century--and will continue to do so in the 21st. Along with six other foreign-policy scholars, Pastor examines the recent history of the world"s seven "great powers" (France, Germany, Russia, Great Britain, China, Japan, and the United States) to demonstrate how they have influenced--and adapted to--the upheavals of the 20th century. They also offer some thoughts on what the "Liberal Epoch" to come will bring: if Russia and China are not fully welcomed into the community of great powers, Pastor warns, conflict is inevitable. And while international law and tribunals will continue to play an important role, they will require strengthened means of monitoring and enforcement if they are to be effective. A Century"s Journey is a bit policy-wonkish for the general reader, but it does offer some carefully considered insights into how the nations of the world will deal with each other in the coming decades.