Modern internatinal law of outer space.

Carl Q. Christol, professor of international law at the University Southern California, has written the most comprehensive book on lic international law of outer space to date. A wealth of information negotiating histories, current debates in international organizations latest research has been beautifully organized with closely reasoned political analyses. These analyses cover the space law treaties in force,the 1979 agreement on the moon, the orbit/spectrum resource, direct television broadcasting, remote sensing, nuclear power sources and space transportation systems. Sixteen chapters are broken down into as many as eleven parts. The appendices are not only the texts of cited documents, but also lists of the states which have signed, acceded or ratified the space treaties and the members of the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS). For some reason, however, the book is in typestyle rather than print. Material of this importance and price deserves to be printed - a feature which would make using the footnotes and index much easier. As explained in the Preface, Professor Christol identifies the interests, values, wants and needs of those states, persons and institutions in the development of space law for each subject. This allows for an assessment of the policies which give meaning and direction to an emerging field of law. A carefully detailed negotiating history is given to advance under- standing of substantive principles and rules of law and to provide guidance when questions of meaning arise. For issues not yet in formal agreement, examination of the outlook of states and private scholars serves as a starting point for interpretation of meaning and future prospects.