Prisoners of Geography, by Tim Marshall
Non-Fiction, Geography, Geo-politics, Maps
Prisoners of Geography brings the maps of our world to life in an easy-to-read style. It is an engaging book that shows how a nation’s geography influences politics, history, economics, and culture. Each chapter covers countries and continents and how they interact, especially when rivers, mountains, and seas are either needed, or in the way. This is the kind of historical, sociological and geopolitical information that we all wish we had been taught. The geography of an area, from mountains to waterways, can significantly dictate how successful, or not, a country may be.
The Carpathian Mountains cut across central Europe
While some non-fiction books feel like being back in school, reading textbook chapters for an exam, this one is difficult to put down, with one fascinating paragraph after another. Indeed, classes could certainly benefit from including this book in their syllabus.
“The Poles have an updated question: “If the Russians threaten,
do we call Brussels or Washington?”
They know the answer.”
About the Author
The author, Tim Marshall, explains how a country’s geography has influenced the motivations of its leaders. He crosses the mountains, oceans, and borders of the world with ease, and shows interesting perspectives to explain international affairs.
Marshall is a British journalist and author who has covered conflicts around the world. He demonstrates his specialty in international diplomacy as he provides perspective and reasoning, as well as a dash of humor, in his writing.
“Through the EU and NATO, Germany is anchored in Western Europe,
but in stormy weather anchors can slip …”
We highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone. It is especially one that all travelers should read. It is always better to travel with a little knowledge of the area and the people, and not with the rose-colored glasses of a tourist on a dream vacation.
There is also an illustrated children’s version of this book, recommended for ages 8 and up.
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