Critics’ Reviews

…It is a very good book. None of the chapters is lightweight, all do what they say they are going to do, they are organized into five clearly demarcated sections and I personally found all the articles interesting, very competent and most of them distinctly original. Additionally, the range of critical perspectives represented is diverse, thereby also demonstrating the open-endedness that critical scholarship strives for….

I enjoyed this engaged and engaging volume by our Australian and New Zealand colleagues. It is a valuable and good-value-for-money book that I would certainly recommend it to all criminologists, whatever their intellectual orientation or career stage. Its triumph is that, in taking seriously—explicitly, implicitly or by default—most of the main issues raised by the concept of ‘critical criminology’, it also demands a thorough-going consideration of whether ideal–typical binaries of non-critical and critical criminologies are either possible or desirable, and, if the former, what they might look like.

Thalia Anthony and Chris Cunneen set out to showcase the best in Australian and New Zealand criminology. In so doing, they have inevitably included many contributors who are already internationally well known. Consequently, it is not surprising that some of the best writing in contemporary and critical criminology is to be found in this book, including elegant and informative chapters by such internationally eminent authors as Pat O’Malley, John Pratt and Kerry Carrington, not one of whose sophisticated essays I have even attempted to comment on in this short review. But no matter: The Critical Criminology Companion is likely (and deservedly) to be debated as a cutting-edge criminology text for some years to come—and, in criminological circles, extending way beyond Australia and New Zealand. – The British Journal of Criminology 49:276-279 (2009)

This interesting addition to the limited literature on Australian and New Zealand criminology distinguishes itself primarily through an explicit focus on critical criminology…

The field of nearly 30 contributors draws upon some well-known and established Australian-based, or connected academics working across this criminological vein, as well as a good number of more junior scholars who share these interests. In addition to addressing feminism, masulinity and Indigenous issues, the flavour of criminological challenges in the 21st century emerges in chapters delaing with torture and terror, asylum seekers and refugees, hate crime and state crime. – NSW Law Society Journal, September 2008

An important and timely edited collection that demonstrates the intellectual strength in depth of critical criminological research in Australia and New Zealand. Dealing with national and global key issues of our time it is an excellent antidote to the compromised politics and economics of mainstream criminology.

In addition to making a significant contribution to criminology the breadth of its canvas and its accessible arguments ensure relevance spanning academic disciplines. It should be essential reading for all practitioners and politicians who have responsibility for administering criminal justice and legitimizing the ever-expanding prison-industrial complex. – Professor Phil Scraton, Institute of Criminology and Criminal Justice, School of Law, Queen’s University, Belfast

Internationally informed, culturally aware, politically relevant, Anthony and Cunneen’s The Critical Criminology Companion is a criminological tour de force. It bristles with insight and creativity, while never flinching from its primary goal of delivering cutting edge critical analysis. As we gaze out on the ever-expanding arid hinterland of orthodox criminology, it’s reassuring to know that some still seek to explore more fertile theoretical ground. – Dr Keith Hayward, Senior Lecturer in Criminology and Sociology, University of Kent, UK

I would highly recommend The Critical Criminology Companion to anyone interested in sophisticated, thought provoking analyses of crime. Readers might initially focus on their specific areas of interest, but will find themselves enticed to consider other chapters. They won’t be disappointed. – Penny Crofts, Public Space, The Journal of Law and Social Justice

The Critical Criminology Companion is a wonderful new addition to the field of criminology. The book showcases many of the major Australian and New Zealand politically committed and theoretically sophisticated criminologists writing in their particular area of expertise.

… The examples of critical theory in action are timely and thought provoking. …

I would highly recommend The Critical Criminology Companion to anyone interested in sophisticated, thought provoking analyses of crime. Readers might initially focus on their specific areas of interest, but will find themselves enticed to consider other chapters. They won’t be disappointed. – Public Space (the Journal of Law and Social Justice), May 2008

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