Associate Professor Sarah Percy
Associate Professor
School of Political Science and International Studies
+61 7 344 31323
Researcher biography
Sarah Percy arrived at UQ from the University of Western Australia in 2016. Prior to her appointment at UWA, Sarah was University Lecturer and Tutorial Fellow in International Relations at the University of Oxford (Merton College). At Oxford, Sarah was on the steering committee of the Oxford Programme on the Changing Character of War. Sarah did her M.Phil and D.Phil as a Commonwealth Scholar at Balliol College, Oxford.
Sarah's research focuses on international security and the history of war. She has had a long-standing interest in unconventional combatants, and has published widely on mercenaries, private military companies, and pirates. She is interested in how historical developments in war shape modern practices, examining mercenaries, women in combat, the history of international law, and weapons control. She is the author of two books: Mercenaries: The History of a Norm in International Relations (OUP: 2007) and Forgotten Warriors: The Long History of Women on the Front Line (Hachette: 2023) as well as numerous articles. Sarah is also a broadcaster and has made three radio series for ABC Radio National, including Why the Cold War Still Matters and two seies of An Object in Time.
Publications
Books
Percy, Sarah (2023). Forgotten warriors: the long history of women on the front line. London, United Kingdom: John Murray Press.
Percy, Sarah (2007). Mercenaries: The History of a Norm in International Relations. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.
Percy, Sarah (2006). Regulating the Private Security Industry. Oxford, United Kingdom: Routledge.
Book Chapters
Percy, Sarah (2019). A world transformed: the need for new defence approaches?. After American primacy. (pp. 211-217) edited by Peter J. Dean, Stephan Frühling and Brendan Taylor. Melbourne, VIC, Australia: Melbourne University Publishing. doi: 10.2307/jj.1744972.19
Percy, Sarah (2018). Maritime security. The Oxford handbook of international security. (pp. 607-621) edited by Alexandra Gheciu and William C. Wohlforth. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. doi: 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780198777854.013.40
Percy, Sarah (2017). International law. An introduction to international relations. (pp. 266-279) Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. doi: 10.1017/9781316855188.020
Percy, Sarah (2016). Counter-piracy in the Indian Ocean: Networks and Military Cooperation. The new power politics: networks and transnational security governance. (pp. 245-267) edited by Deborah Avant and Oliver Westerwinter. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.
Percy, Sarah (2016). Norms and regulation. Routledge handbook of private security studies. (pp. 219-227) edited by Rita Abrahamsen and Anna Leander. London, United Kingom: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781315850986-27
Percy, Sarah (2014). The unimplemented norm: anti-mercenary law and the problems of institutionalization. Implementation and world politics : how international norms change practice. (pp. 68-84) edited by Alexander Betts and Phil Orchard. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.
Percy, Sarah (2011). The changing character of private force. The changing character of war. (pp. 259-281) edited by Hew Strachan and Sibylle Scheipers. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.
Percy, Sarah (2009). Morality and regulation. From Mercenaries to Market: The Rise and Regulation of Private Military Companies. Oxford University Press. doi: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199228485.003.0002
Percy, Sarah V. (2008). The Security Council and the use of private force. The United Nations Security Council and war: the evolution of thought and practice since 1945. (pp. 624-642) edited by Vaughan Lowe, Adam Roberts, Jennifer Welsh and Dominik Zaum. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.
Journal Articles
Percy, Sarah V. and Sandholtz, Wayne (2022). Why norms rarely die. European Journal of International Relations, 28 (4), 934-954. doi: 10.1177/13540661221126018
Lindley, Jade, Percy, Sarah and Techera, Erika (2019). Illegal fishing and Australian security. Australian Journal of International Affairs, 73 (1), 82-99. doi: 10.1080/10357718.2018.1548561
Percy, Sarah (2019). What makes a norm robust: the norm against female combat. Journal of Global Security Studies, 4 (1), 123-138. doi: 10.1093/jogss/ogy044
Percy, Sarah (2016). Counter-piracy in the Indian Ocean: A new form of military cooperation. Journal of Global Security Studies, 1 (4), 270-284. doi: 10.1093/jogss/ogw018
Percy, Sarah (2016). Maritime crime and naval response. Survival, 58 (3), 155-189. doi: 10.1080/00396338.2016.1186986
Percy, Sarah (2015). Illegal fishing: much more than a conservation problem. Lowy Interpreter
Percy, Sarah and Shortland, Anja (2013). Counter-piracy in Somalia: help or hindrance. Journal of Peace Economics, Peace Science and Public Policy, 19 (2), 275-283. doi: 10.1515/peps-2013-0005
Percy, Sarah and Shotland, Anja (2013). The business of piracy in Somalia. Journal of Strategic Studies, 36 (4), 541-578. doi: 10.1080/01402390.2012.750242
Percy, Sarah and Shortland, Anja (2013). Contemporary maritime piracy: five obstacles to ending Somali piracy. Global Policy, 4 (1), 65-72. doi: 10.1111/1758-5899.12043
Percy, Sarah (2013). Mercenaries. Oxford Bibliographies Online: Military History doi: 10.1093/OBO/9780199791279-0105
Percy, Sarah and Loader, Ian (2012). Bringing the ‘outside’ in and the ‘inside’ out: crossing the criminology/IR divide. Global Crime, 13 (4), 213-218. doi: 10.1080/17440572.2012.715402
Percy, Sarah (2012). Regulating the private security industry: a story of regulating the last war. International Review of the Red Cross, 94 (887), 941-960. doi: 10.1017/S1816383113000258
Percy, Sarah (2011). Amid Libya slaughter, let’s stop mercenaries. USA Today
Percy, Sarah (2009). Private security companies and civil wars. Civil Wars, 11 (1), 57-74. doi: 10.1080/13698240802407041
Percy, Sarah (2009). Introduction. Civil Wars, 11 (1), 1-4. doi: 10.1080/13698240802407009
Percy, Sarah V. (2007). Mercenaries: strong norm, weak law. International Organization, 61 (2), 367-397. doi: 10.1017/S0020818307070130
Percy, Sarah (2003). This gun’s for hire: a new look at an old issue. International Journal, 58 (4), 721-736. doi: 10.1177/002070200305800413
Creative Works
Percy, Sarah (2022). An object in time: The flag. Sydney, NSW Australia: ABC Radio National.
Percy, Sarah (2022). An object in time: The jewel. Sydney, NSW, Australia: ABC Radio National.
Percy, Sarah (2022). An object in time: the ball. Sydney, NSW Australia: ABC Radio National.
Percy, Sarah (2022). An object in time: the potato. Australia: ABC Radio National.
Percy, Sarah (2022). An Object in Time: The Briefcase. Sydney, Australia: ABC Radio National.
Percy, Sarah (2021). An Object in Time: The Whip. Sydney, Australia: ABC Radio National.
Percy, Sarah (2021). An Object in Time: The Ginger Beer. Sydney, Australia: ABC Radio National.
Percy, Sarah (2021). An Object in Time: The Envelope. Sydney, Australia: ABC Radio National.
Percy, Sarah (2021). An Object in Time: The Cup of Tea. Sydney, Australia: ABC Radio National.
Percy, Sarah (2021). An Object in Time: The Ticker Tape. Sydney, Australia: ABC Radio National.
Percy, Sarah (2021). An Object in Time: The Train Carriage. Sydney, Australia: ABC Radio National.
Percy, Sarah (2021). An Object In Time: The Telephone. Sydney, Australia: ABC Radio National.
Percy, Sarah (2021). An Object in Time: The Pistol. Sydney, Australia: ABC Radio National.
Percy, Sarah (2021). An Object in Time: The Umbrella. Sydney, Australia: ABC Radio National.
Percy, Sarah (2019). Why the Cold War still matters - Episode 4: The year no one saw coming. Sydney, Australia: ABC Radio National.
Percy, Sarah (2019). Why the Cold War still matters - Episode 3: The fall of an empire. Sydney, Australia: ABC Radio National.
Percy, Sarah (2019). Why the Cold War still matters - Episode 2: Repression and dissent. Sydney, Australia: ABC Radio National.
Percy, Sarah (2019). Why the Cold War still matters - Episode1: The superpower standoff. Sydney, Australia: ABC Radio National.
Newspaper Articles
Percy, Sarah (2011, 03 01). Libya ordeal shows it’s time to police mercenaries