Staff profile

Dr Simon D Taylor is the Teaching Fellow in International Relations & Security at Durham University, England, and an Extraordinary Researcher at North-West University, South Africa. In his previous roles he was a Senior Foreign Service Officer for the South African Department of International Relations and Co-operation, and guest lecturer at the University of St Andrews, Scotland, where he was also an Assistant Warden in University Hall.

He holds a PhD in International Relations from the University of St Andrews, Scotland, and a Master of Social Science from the University of Cape Town, South Africa. 

Dr Taylor’s research is on political violence and diplomacy, with a particular focus on Africa. 

Publications

Books:

Combatants in African Conflicts: Professionals, Praetorians, Insurgents, Militias and Mercenaries, Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge (2022) 

Peer-Review Journals: 

"A Tale of Terror: Autoethnography and the Study of Terrorism." Terrorism and Political Violence, (2024) 1–20.  https://doi.org/10.1080/09546553.2024.2387628 

“Status Quo Terrorism: State-Terrorism in South Africa During Apartheid.” Terrorism and Political Violence 35, no. 2 (2023): 304-320. https://doi.org/10.1080/09546553.2021.1916478

(with Seegers, Annette) “Transformation in the South African Military: A Study of the Gender-Representivity Component in the South African Navy.” Politikon South African Journal of Political Studies 35, no. 3 (2008): 357-378. https://doi.org/10.1080/02589340903020670

Reviews:

Daase, Christopher, and James W. Davis. “Clausewitz on Small War.” E-International Relations (2015): http://www.e-ir.info/2016/03/12/review-clausewitz-on-small-war/ 

Cubitt, Christine. “Local and Global Dynamics of Peacebuilding: Post-Conflict reconstruction in Sierra Leone.” E-International Relations (2014): http://www.e-ir.info/2014/04/13/review-local-and-global-dynamics-of-peacebuilding/ 

Alden, Chris, Monica Thakur, and Matthew Arnold. "Militias and the challenges of post‐conflict peace: Silencing the guns." Journal of International Relations Research (2012): 100.

Other Publications:

“'Bonapartism' infects, leads to military coups in Africa” Responsible Statecraft, 20 September 2023, https://responsiblestatecraft.org/military-coups-in-africa/

"Let’s be realistic when discussing arresting Vladimir Putin” Business Day, 19 May 2023

“Apartheid nostalgia forgets the cruel inhumanity of the past” Mail and Guardian, 17-23 March 2023

“Brics, naval exercises and the chance to pierce autocrats’ bubbles”, Mail and Guardian, 27 February 2023, https://mg.co.za/opinion/2023-02-27-brics-naval-exercises-and-the-chance-to-pierce-autocrats-bubbles/

“The Woman King delivers a brilliant African story unfettered by many tired tropes”, Mail and Guardian, 5 October 2022, https://mg.co.za/opinion/2022-10-05-the-woman-king-delivers-a-brilliant-african-story-unfettered-by-many-tired-tropes/ 

“South Africa, as a Brics member, must make its voice heard on Putin’s nuclear weapons sabre-rattling”, Mail and Guardian, 25 September 2022, https://mg.co.za/opinion/2022-09-23-south-africa-as-a-brics-member-must-make-its-voice-heard-on-putins-nuclear-weapons-sabre-rattling/

“Living in a democracy is far more than just having a vote”, Business Day, 22 March 2022, https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/opinion/2022-03-22-simon-taylor-living-in-a-democracy-is-far-more-than-just-having-a-vote/  

“Brics’ stance on unilateral action has been violated by invasion of Ukraine”, Business Day, 11 March 2022, p 7.

“Neat hair at school is a colonial mess.” Mail and Guardian, 11-17 February 2022.

“When Putsch Comes to Shove: A Historical Take on Trump’s Attack at the Capitol.” Global Politics (January 2021): https://global-politics.co.uk/2021/01/24/trumps-attack-capitol/

“Time to Ditch Denel.” Daily Maverick (3 September 2019): https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/2019-09-03-time-to-ditch-denel/

“Real civilian rule in Zimbabwe is not possible as long as the military pulls the strings.” Daily Maverick (25 July 2019): https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/2019-07-25-real-civilian-rule-in-zimbabwe-is-not-possible-as-long-as-the-military-pulls-the-strings/

“Sierra Leone’s Pre-colonial and Colonial era military and security forces.” South African History Online (2017): http://www.sahistory.org.za/article/sierra-leones-pre-colonial-and-colonial-era-military-and-security-forces

• Political Violence, Terrorism, State Terrorism, Combatants, Diplomacy, African Politics

Journal Article

• Taylor, S. D. (online). A Tale of Terror: Autoethnography and the Study of Terrorism. Terrorism and Political Violence, 1-20. https://doi.org/10.1080/09546553.2024.2387628