Prisoners of Geography

All leaders are constrained by geography. Their choices are limited by mountains, rivers, seas and concrete. Yes, to follow world events you need to understand people, ideas and movements - but if you don't know geography, you'll never have the full picture.

If you've ever wondered why Putin is so obsessed with Crimea, why the USA was destined to become a global superpower, or why China's power base continues to expand ever outwards, the answers are all here.

In ten chapters (covering Russia; China; the USA; Latin America; the Middle East; Africa; India and Pakistan; Europe; Japan and Korea; and the Arctic), using maps, essays and occasionally the personal experiences of the widely travelled author, Prisoners of Geography looks at the past, present and future to offer an essential insight into one of the major factors that determines world history.

It's time to put the 'geo' back into geopolitics.

'A fresh and original insight into the geopolitics behind today's foreign policy challenges' - Andrew Neil; Crisply written and brilliantly argued' - Dame Ann Leslie;An essential and detailed reflection of the geopolitical dynamics that exist globally' - Dr Sajjan M. Gohel; 'Quite simply, one of the best books about geopolitics you could imagine: reading it is like having a light shone on your understanding.... Marshall is clear-headed, lucid and possessed of an almost uncanny ability to make the broad picture accessible and coherent ... the book is, in a way which astonished me, given the complexities of the subject, unputdownable.... I can't think of another book that explains the world situation so well.' - Nicholas Lezard, Evening Standard ; 'Compels a fresh way of looking at maps - not just as objects for orientation or works of art, but as guideposts to the often thorny relations between nations' -- The New York Times; 'A very good idea, very well executed -- and (perhaps as one expected) very entertainingly written' - Professor Anthony Glees, Director, Centre for Security and Intelligence Studies (BUCSIS), The University of Buckingham; 'Shows the ways geography shapes not just history but human destiny... In an ever more complex, chaotic and interlinked world, Prisoners of Geography is a concise and useful primer on geo-politics. Marshall is not afraid to ask tough questions and provide sharp answers.' - Adam LeBor, Newsweek; 'Marshall's latest book explains how politics is nothing without geography, in his crisp and compelling style ... What he really excels at is capturing the psychology of nations and giving maps a power that politicians must tame.' - Top Ten Holiday Reads - Dan Lewis, Stanfords, WorldTravelGuide.net; 'Difficult to put down... Marshall succeeds in making lucid a complex topic.' - Chris Tilbury, Prospect; 'A timely reminder of the importance of geopolitics ... A good bluffer's guide for the members of the newly elected Foreign Affairs and Defence Select Committees' - Keith Simpson MP, summer reading list recommendations; 'A reminder of the salience of geography in international affairs.... Ideologies may come and go but, says Marshall, who served a long stint as diplomatic editor of Britain's Sky News, such geopolitical facts of life endure.'- Daniel Dombey, Financial Times; 'There are few foreign correspondents in the current British media who can present an overview of a political situation quite like Tim Marshall. The former Diplomatic Editor at Sky News, he has a long and impressive CV in foreign journalism covering conflicts in Croatia, Bosnia, Macedonia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and Israel and in his new book, Prisoners of Geography he presents this knowledge and experience quite brilliantly.' - Retroculturati; 'An introduction to geopolitics and geo-strategy ... worth reading as a commentary on the subject' - Army Rumour Service review; 'Sharp insights into the way geography shapes the choices of world leaders.' - Gideon Rachman, Financial Times; 'Remarkable and stimulating ... an eye opener in every sense. I now understand in ways that I never did before how much impact physical geography has on political reality. Within these pages you will find a heady mixture of accurate analysis and almost poetic description. ... If you are worried about the dumbing down of news but want to find out for yourself what lies behind the international headlines, this book would be a great place to start.' - Richard Littledale, blogger; 'An exceptional work, well-researched, argued and documented ... a treasure of information to satisfy the specialist researcher into contemporary geopolitics and offers a riveting insight to the general reader or student.... It is all covered in this magnificent book, which I highly recommend.' - Nehad Ismail, writer and broadcaster; 'What Tim Marshall gives the reader is an excellent lesson and reminders that geography influences political decisions, strategic decisions of governments and the attitudes of the people ... Buy this book, borrow this book and give this book it is too important to remain on the shelves getting dusty.' - Atticusfinch1048; 'a timely reminder that despite technological advances, geography is always there, often forcing the hand of world leaders.' - Mark Cooper-Jones, Geographical; "A fascinating analysis of geopolitical relationships that reminds the reader that politics is nothing without geography. A very timely read, given the state of foreign affairs." -- Town and Country.co.uk; "Very useful ... a highly accessible introduction to the geopolitics of every region on Earth. Considering that there are so many 'popular economics' and 'popular history' books out there, it's good to see a 'popular geography' or 'popular geopolitics' book" - BMIResearch.com

Tim Marshall is a leading authority on foreign affairs with more than 30 years of reporting experience. He was diplomatic editor at Sky News, and before that was working for the BBC and LBC/IRN radio. He has reported from 40 countries and covered conflicts in Croatia, Bosnia, Macedonia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and Israel. He is the author of five books including the no.1 Sunday Times bestseller Prisoners of Geography; Worth Dying For: The Power and Politics of Flags; and Divided: Why We're Living in Age of Walls. He is the founder and editor of TheWhatandtheWhy.com.

All leaders are constrained by geography. Their choices are limited by mountains, rivers, seas and concrete. Yes, to understand world events you need to understand people, ideas and movements...but if you dont know geography, youll never have the full picture.; To understand Putins actions, for example, it is essential to consider that, to be a world power, Russia must have a navy. And if its ports freeze for six months each year then it must have access to a warm water port - hence, the annexation of Crimea was the only option for Putin. To understand the Middle East, it is crucial to know that geography is the reason why countries have logically been shaped as they are - and this is why invented countries (e.g. Syria, Iraq, Libya) will not survive as nation states.; Spread over ten chapters (covering Russia; China; the USA; Latin America; the Middle East; Africa; India and Pakistan; Europe; Japan and Korea; and Greenland and the Arctic), using maps, essays and occasionally the personal experiences of the widely travelled author, Prisoners of Geography looks at the past, present and future to offer an essential guide to one of the major determining factors in world history.

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