Practical Politics, Peacebuilding and Ending Wars: Governing Security After War: The Politics of Institutional Change in the Security Sector, by Louis-Alexandre Berg, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2022, £56 (hardback), ISBN 9780197572382; Western Intervention and Informal Politics: Simulated Statebuilding and Failed Reforms, by Troels Burchall Henningsen, Abingdon, Routledge, 2022, £31.19 (paperback), ISBN 9781032070094; Peacebuilding in Africa: The Post-Conflict State and Its Multidimensional Crises, edited by Kelechi A. Kalu and George Klay Kieh Jr., Lexington, 2021, £89.00 (hardback), ISBN 9781793643124

This article discusses three books that address the challenges of peacebuilding and post-conflict state-building. The first book, "Governing Security After War" by Louis-Alexandre Berg, focuses on the role of political will in successful institutional interventions. The second book, "Western Intervention and Informal Politics" by Troels Burchall Henningsen, explores the complexities of state-building and the influence of informal political networks. The third book, "Peacebuilding in Africa" edited by Kelechi A. Kalu and George Klay Kieh Jr., examines the difficulties of international intervention in achieving sustainable peace in African countries. These books highlight the importance of understanding the interactions between formal and informal institutions and the role of actors within those institutions in achieving successful peacebuilding outcomes. [Extracted from the article]