'There is much to admire in this work that is in many respects [a] commendable piece of scholarship. The relative lack of literature on this topic means that Portmann's book will no doubt find a place on the bookshelf of many international lawyers and particularly those interested in the historical and theoretical underpinnings of the main conceptions of international legal personality.' Modern Law Review
Introduction; Part I. The Concept of Personality in International Law: 1. Notion; 2. Conceptions; 3. Significance; Part II. The Conceptions of Personality in International Law: Their Origins and Legal Manifestations: 4. Early doctrine and practice; 5. The states-only conception; 6. The recognition conception; 7. The individualistic conception; 8. The formal conception; 9. The actor conception; Part III. A Framework for Personality in International Law: 10. Appraisal of the conceptions and their assumptions; 11. An individualistic and formal frame of reference; 12. Conclusion.