18/08/2026
Book recommendations by Prof. Martina Caroni:
As part of my teaching activities to the Human Rights Master’s program at the University of Vienna, I’d like to share a book that profoundly shaped my understanding of the field.
If you want to understand where modern human rights law and international criminal law come from, I highly recommend East West Street by Philippe Sands.
Part history, part memoir, part detective story, the book traces the lives of two remarkable lawyers, Hersch Lauterpacht and Raphael Lemkin, whose ideas shaped the concepts of crimes against humanity and genocide. Through their intertwined personal histories, Sands brings to life the legal and moral debates that continue to influence international justice today.
Why I recommend it: It shows that legal concepts do not emerge in a vacuum. They are often born from individual experiences, historical tragedies, and the determination of people who believe that the law can make a difference.
My biggest takeaway: Understanding the history behind these concepts deepens our appreciation of both the power and the limits of human rights law. East West Street reminds us that law is ultimately about people and their stories.