As mentioned by other reviewers, to even consider undertaking Jessup moot court competition, or any other major project in international law without first turning to Brownlie is to miss one of the most comprehensive texts on public international law. There are those of us who have comprehensively silenced arguments on a point of law with the phrase ' but Brownlie says...'. No international law collection is complete without this text.

No doubt that this book is one of the most authoritative and orthodox textbooks in this field. With prolific cases and legal reasoning, this book offers a clear and profound understanding on "principles of international law," especially its Sources, Jurisdictions, and subjects, and basic theories thereof. A must have for those majoring in international law, I should say.

As for beginners, however, this book might seem quite challenging. A better-balanced structure would make Prof. Brownlie¡¯s book look all the more perfect; despite its overwhelming reasoning and theories, the book somewhat lacks in such topics as the ICC and law of war. For beginners who want to learn general aspects of international law, I would rather recommend Prof. Peter Malanczuk¡¯s ¡°Akehurst¡¯s modern introduction of international law,¡± or Prof. Malcolm Shaw¡¯s ¡°International Law.¡±

Brownlie remains a standard in the study of international law. Not only is it an excellent text in itself, but the copious citations make it a very valuable research tool. Having had a long association with the Jessup International Law Moot Court competition, I highly recommend this text to all students preparing for the Jessup. Its inclusion as part of the research process should be considered a must.