Wassily Kandinsky painted Moscow I in 1916 after he was forced to return to Russia in 1914 because of Germany’s declaration of war against Russia during World War I. Wassily Kandinsky’s Moscow I (1916), oil on canvas, 49.5 x 51.5 cm, The State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, Russia.Ī Compressed City of Time in Light | The City in Art Scribner Reprint edition (October 11, 2016) Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps That Tell You Everything You Need to Know About Global Politics by Tim Marshall
However, if you are looking for something with more intellectual breadth and depth, then the shallow nature of Prisoners of Geography will be a disappointment. On these terms, Prisoners of Geography is fine.
Instead, what I got was a high school geography lesson presumably written for people who didn’t bother to listen the first time around in their high school geography class. I began reading with expectations for in-depth analysis about an issue with profound and widespread implications around the world. However, I should have paid much closer attention to the Tim Marshall’s author biography on the inside of the backcover when I purchased this book. I have to admit to judging Prisoners of Geography by its cover… and it does have a great cover designed by David Wardle (see above). 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 (Book blurb ends). All leaders of nations are constrained by geography. 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. 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. (Book blurb begins) Maps have a mysterious hold over us.
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