Prisoners of Geography Ten Maps That..., Tim Marshall
Prisoners of Geography Ten Maps That..., Tim Marshall
59 Rating(s)
List: $19.99 | Sale: $13.99
Club: $9.99

Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps That Explain Everything About the World

Author: Tim Marshall

Narrator: Scott Brick

Unabridged: 8 hr 49 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Novel Audio

Published: 10/19/2016


Synopsis

In this New York Times bestseller, updated for 2016, an award-winning journalist uses ten maps of crucial regions to explain the geo-political strategies of the world powers—“fans of geography, history, and politics (and maps) will be enthralled” (Fort Worth Star-Telegram).

Maps have a mysterious hold over us. Whether ancient, crumbling parchments or generated by Google, maps tell us things we want to know, not only about our current location or where we are going but about the world in general. And yet, when it comes to geo-politics, much of what we are told is generated by analysts and other experts who have neglected to refer to a map of the place in question.

All leaders of nations are constrained by geography. In “one of the best books about geopolitics” (The Evening Standard), now updated to include 2016 geopolitical developments, journalist Tim Marshall examines Russia, China, the US, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Japan, Korea, and Greenland and the Arctic—their weather, seas, mountains, rivers, deserts, and borders—to provide a context often missing from our political reportage: how the physical characteristics of these countries affect their strengths and vulnerabilities and the decisions made by their leaders.

Offering “a fresh way of looking at maps” (The New York Times Book Review), Marshall explains the complex geo-political strategies that shape the globe. Why is Putin so obsessed with Crimea? Why was the US destined to become a global superpower? Why does China’s power base continue to expand? Why is Tibet destined to lose its autonomy? Why will Europe never be united? The answers are geographical. “In an ever more complex, chaotic, and interlinked world, Prisoners of Geography is a concise and useful primer on geopolitics” (Newsweek) and a critical guide to one of the major determining factors in world affairs.

About Tim Marshall

Tim Marshall is a leading authority on foreign affairs with more than thirty years of reporting experience. He was diplomatic editor at Sky News and before that worked for the BBC and LBC/IRN radio. He has reported from forty countries and covered conflicts in Croatia, Bosnia, Macedonia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and Israel. He is the author of Prisoners of Geography, The Age of Walls, A Flag Worth Dying For, The Power of Geography, and The Future of Geography.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Thomas Ray on September 13, 2023

Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps that Explain Everything about the World, Tim Marshall, 2015, 263 pp. This is actually a rather shallow, cursory look at geopolitics from a standard pro–U.S.-military, neoliberal viewpoint. The ten maps are just ordinary maps of ten areas, Russia, China, U.S., W. Europ......more

Goodreads review by Paul on September 11, 2015

Once I read this true crime account of this serial killer and they didn’t find the bodies, I think they got him on dna, and so they ask him what did you do with the bodies. They were wondering what genius plan of disposal the guy had come up with to make ten corpses disappear without trace. And he s......more

Goodreads review by Beti on November 24, 2024

Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps That Tell You Everything You Need to Know About Global Politics by Tim Marshall is a fascinating exploration of how geography shapes history, politics, and international relations. The concept of anchoring each chapter to a specific map is a dream for map enthusiasts......more

Goodreads review by Will on August 20, 2016

The premise of this book is interesting - that much of international politics is about geography. Country A doesn't go to war with country B because there is a range of mountains between them. Country C enjoys a strong trading economy because it has access to the sea. And so it goes. Most people read......more

Goodreads review by Baba on May 06, 2022

Tim Marshall (wiki: 'British journalist, author and broadcaster, specialising in foreign affairs and international diplomacy') uses ten maps as the focus of ten chapters not only looking at the relevant geo-politics but also heavy underlining the geographical constraints, history and Climate Change......more