Released: 2021
Genre: Non-fiction, Politics, Society, History
Number of Pages: 365
In 2015, UK journalist and foreign affairs correspondent Tim Marshall wrote “Prisoners of Geography”, an examinations of various nations, their terrain and how it affects their power on a global scale. Now, six years later, he provides a worthwhile updated in “The Power of Geography”. The world has changed a great deal since then and making sense of world affairs has only grown trickier as we entered the 2020s. Through lived experience and plenty of detailed research from fellow experts, this follow-up is surely one of the most important non-fiction releases in recent years.
The author illustrates his points with a combination of critical shifts in history and where a nation finds itself today. Each case study is smartly chosen from Ethiopia, Africa’s water tower to Spain’s naturally fortified landscape and push towards renewable energy to Iran’s debate over nuclear weapons and consolidating power. The advantages and problems each nation faces are put front and centre within each chapter. The internal strife of the Tigray people, the insistence of Turkey going it alone and Australia being caught up between two superpowers, these examples all form fascinating connections as the book goes on.
Conflicts like the insurgencies across The Sahel region are complex and controversial, but Marshall is able to carefully layer events, people, politics and locations together in an engaging, easily understandable manner. He concludes, fittingly enough, by speculating on mankind’s steps into space and the future tensions that could arise. Humanity faces an unpredictable and chaotic landscape in the current decade, but the greatest strength of The Power Of Geography is how it summarises and explains global change. As readers, we’re all encouraged to keep an eye on the regions Tim analyses.
Recommended?
YES: Just like the original, Tim Marshall delivers a highly informative look at geopolitics that
intertwines with historical events. It packs a ton of detail into less than 400 pages and is a
must-read for anyone following world events. On top of this, the book is highly contemporary, making light of current events and the ongoing conflicts that have emerged in the early 2020s. Go and read this book as soon as you can, you won’t be disappointed.
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