Prisoners of Geography

Ten Maps That Tell You Everything You Need to Know About Global Politics

Tim Marshall author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Elliott & Thompson Limited

Published:2nd Jun '16

Should be back in stock very soon

This paperback is available in another edition too:

Prisoners of Geography cover

This insightful exploration reveals how geography influences global politics, as seen in Prisoners of Geography, shedding light on leaders' constrained choices.

In Prisoners of Geography, the author explores how geography shapes the decisions of world leaders and influences global events. The book argues that while understanding people, ideas, and movements is essential, geography is a critical factor that cannot be overlooked. Leaders are often constrained by physical features such as mountains, rivers, and seas, which limit their options and strategies. For instance, the analysis of Russia's geopolitical maneuvers highlights the necessity of access to warm water ports for a country seeking to maintain its status as a world power.

The narrative spans ten chapters, each dedicated to a specific region, including Russia, China, the USA, and the Middle East. Through a combination of maps, essays, and personal anecdotes from the author's extensive travels, Prisoners of Geography provides a comprehensive overview of how geographical factors have historically shaped nations. It delves into the complexities of borders and the implications of geography on contemporary conflicts and alliances. The author emphasizes that many regions have been artificially constructed, leading to instability and challenges in governance.

This updated paperback edition for 2016 has been well-received, with nearly 4,500 copies sold within the first two months of its release. Aimed at a broad audience, the book distills a complex subject into an engaging and accessible format. It has garnered significant attention and praise, including features on platforms like BBC News. Discussions are underway for a potential television adaptation, further highlighting its relevance and impact on understanding global affairs.

'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

ISBN: 9781783962433

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: unknown

320 pages