This book, now in its second edition, began life as a doctoral thesis, The Idea of the People, which was defended in Helsinki University on 11 December 2004 and then published with a few revisions as Peoples and International Law in 2007. I am extremely grateful for everyone who supported this project in its various phases. First, I would like to thank my doctoral supervisor at Helsinki, Jan Klabbers for his guidance and, in particular, for directing this work towards an interdisciplinary direction that allowed it to flourish. I would also like to express my appreciation for my examiners Martti Koskenniemi and Iain Cameron, and my opponent in the public defence, Karen Knop. Their critiques have played an important role in shaping the final published work. My thanks also go to Eyassu Gayim, Tarja L?ngstr?m and Pamela Norris for their help with the doctorate, and my parents Peter and Catherine Summers for all their support and encouragement. I am also very grateful for the financial support I received from Helsinki University that allowed the completion of the LL.D. I would like to show my appreciation to Lindy Melman, Gera van Bedaf, and A?everyone at Brill for all their assistance with the publication and Martti Koskenniemi as General Editor of the Erik Castrén Institute of International Law and Human Rights series, in which this book proudly belongs. I would also like to thank everyone who helped with the second edition and the ideas behind it. In particular, I would like to express my gratitude to Sophia Kopela, Sigrun Skogly, Steven Wheatley, Carol Bennett, Suzanne Ost, Marc Weller, Harold Johnson, Jure Vidmar, Ruben Brouwer, Abdul Alothman, Sana Al-Sarghali, Wang Linzhu, Jackson Maogoto, Mervat Rishmawi, Ziad Abdel Tawab, and John Pearson. Lastly, I would like to give special thanks to Paula and Paul, Daniel and William for their love and patience over the innumerable late evenings needed to complete this new edition.