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Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps That Explain Everything About the World (Politics of Place Book 1)Amazon Videos

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Name: Amazon.com: Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps That Explain Everything About the World (1) (Politics of Place): 9781501121470: Marshall, Tim: Books
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Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps That Explain Everything About the World (1) (Politics of Place) Paperback – October 11, 2016

by Tim Marshall (Author)

5,492 ratings

Book 1 of 5: Politics of Place

in Historical Geography

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UPDATED TO REFLECT CURRENT EVENTS! In this fascinating New York Times bestseller—fully revised to reflect the events of our current world—award-winning journalist Tim Marshall uses ten maps of crucial regions to explain how physical landscapes influence geopolitical strategies of world leaders, showing “how geography shapes not just history but destiny” (Newsweek).

Maps have always captivated us, offering insights not only into our destinations but also into the broader world. Yet, when it comes to understanding geopolitics, many overlook the fundamental role of geography. All leaders of nations are constrained by geography—their choices limited by mountains, rivers, deserts, and seas. Now in “one of the best books about geopolitics” (The Evening Standard)—journalist Tim Marshall reveals the profound influence of geography on global politics, offering a compelling lens through which to understand the seismic shifts reshaping international relations.

Through ten up-to-date maps, Marshall explores the landscapes and climates that constrain and empower nations across key parts of the globe, from Russia’s vast tundras to China’s mountainous borders, Africa’s deserts to the Arctic’s shifting ice. Taking a deep dive into the key flashpoints defining our world today—including the Russia-Ukraine war and the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict—Marshall unpacks the shifting dynamics of the New Middle East, China’s bold moves to expand its global influence, including its growing interest in Taiwan, and how America’s pivot to the Pacific is reshaping alliances. And Europe’s tilt towards extreme politics, increased defense spending, and the future role of NATO, paint a dramatic picture of a continent in flux.

An essential read for anyone interested in the interplay between geography and global politics, this fully revised edition of Prisoners of Geography offers a vivid look at the forces driving our increasingly complex world.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Quite simply, one of the best books about geopolitics you could imagine: reading it is like having a light shone on your understanding." —The Evening Standard

"In an ever more complex, chaotic and interlinked world, Prisoners of Geography is a concise and useful primer on geo-politics.” —Newsweek Europe

“A convincing analysis.” —Washington Post

"Marshall's insistence on seeing the world through the lens of geography 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.” —New York Times Book Review

"Marshall is excellent on some of the highways and byways of geopolitics." —Financial Times

“This is not a book about environmental determinism—the geography of a region is never presented as fatalistic; but it does send a timely reminder that despite technological advances, geography is always there, often forcing the hand of world leaders.” —Geographical Magazine

"Fans of geography, history and politics (and maps) will be enthralled." —Fort Worth Star-Telegram

"Lively and perceptive . . . a brilliant narrative . . . superb . . . precise and informative . . . A very lively, sensible and informative series of country reports in which geography occupies its rightful place along with shrewd historical reminders and political judgments." —Survival: Global Politics and Strategy

"This book is especially timely . . . Landscapes, rugged or otherwise, and what the land holds in resources, exert their own kind of sway that no one, not even a Putin, can surmount. This book grabbed me because of its enormous relevance to our world today." —Booktrib.com

About the Author

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.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Scribner; Reprint edition (October 11, 2016)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1501121472
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1501121470
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12.2 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.9 x 9 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #8,771 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1 in Historical Geography
- #5 in Human Geography (Books)
- #10 in Middle Eastern Politics

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Tim Marshall

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Tim Marshall was Diplomatic Editor and foreign correspondent for Sky News. After thirty years’ experience in news reporting and presenting, he left full time news journalism to concentrate on writing and analysis.

Originally from Leeds, Tim arrived at broadcasting from the road less traveled. Not a media studies or journalism graduate, in fact not a graduate at all, after a wholly unsuccessful career as a painter and decorator he worked his way through newsroom nightshifts, and unpaid stints as a researcher and runner before eventually securing himself a foothold on the first rung of the broadcasting career ladder.

After three years as IRN’s Paris correspondent and extensive work for BBC radio and TV, Tim joined Sky News. Reporting from Europe, the USA and Asia, Tim became Middle East Correspondent based in Jerusalem.

Tim also reported in the field from Bosnia, Croatia and Serbia during the Balkan wars of the 1990’s. He spent the majority of the 1999 Kosovo crisis in Belgrade, where he was one of the few western journalists who stayed on to report from one of the main targets of NATO bombing raids. Tim was in Kosovo to greet the NATO troops on the day they advanced into Pristina. In recent years he covered the conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, and Syria.

He has written for many of the national newspapers including the Times, the Guardian, the Daily Telegraph, and the Sunday Times.

Tim’s first book, Shadowplay: The Overthrow of Slobodan Milosevic, was a bestseller in former Yugoslavia and continues to be one of the most highly regarded accounts of that period. A second book, “Dirty Northern B*st*rds!” and Other Tales from the Terraces: The Story of Britain’s Football Chants was published in 2014, to widespread acclaim. His third book is ‘Prisoners of Geography’ and has been published in the UK, USA. Germany, Japan, Turky, and Taiwan. His latest book is ‘Worth Dying For. The Power and Politics of Flags’. The paperback, and a U.S version of this are due out in the spring of this year.

Tim has been shot with bird pellet in Cairo, hit over the head with a plank of wood in London, bruised by the police in Tehran, arrested by Serbian intelligence, detained in Damascus, declared persona non grata in Croatia, bombed by the RAF in Belgrade and tear-gassed all over the world. However, he says none of this compares with the experience of going to see his beloved Leeds United away at Millwall FC in London.

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Customers find the book well-written and informative, providing a deep understanding of world history and geopolitics. The book offers a concise overview of geopolitics and ties history and geography together, making it an entertaining tour of the world. However, the map quality receives mixed feedback, with several customers describing them as lousy.

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Readability Information quality Geography Entertainment value Map quality

326 customers mention "Readability"299 positive27 negative

Customers find the book well written and interesting, with the author doing a great job of explaining complex concepts.

"...The book is accessible to the general reader, but it is also informative for readers who are more knowledgeable about geography...." Read more

"...Mr. Marshall makes one think. Maps ARE lines! What he writes about is SO logical!! I cannot say when I have been awed by a book! BRAVO!!!" Read more

"Informative. Factual. Easy flow. Good read." Read more

"This is a must read book...." Read more

232 customers mention "Information quality"229 positive3 negative

Customers find the book very informative, providing a deeper understanding of world history and great insights into why certain events occur.

"This helps put the “geo” in geopolitics. Great insight on why and how nations act as they do…. Happy that I took the time to read this" Read more

"The book Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps That Explain Everything About the World (Politics of Place Book 1) by journalist Tim Marshall explores the..." Read more

"Informative. Factual. Easy flow. Good read." Read more

"...In a nut shell this is must read- well informed, factual work- from most all perspectives (Military, Political, Technological Etc..) for those..." Read more

183 customers mention "Geography"151 positive32 negative

Customers appreciate the book's geographical insights, particularly its historical context and how it shapes politics, with one customer noting its excellent description of Russia's geographical constraints.

"This helps put the “geo” in geopolitics. Great insight on why and how nations act as they do…. Happy that I took the time to read this" Read more

"The book Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps That Explain Everything About the World (Politics of Place Book 1) by journalist Tim Marshall explores the..." Read more

"Who knew!!!!! Mr. Marshall makes one think. Maps ARE lines! What he writes about is SO logical!! I cannot say when I have been awed by a book!..." Read more

"...The author, also has a very interesting take on "Africa" and the countless issues facing nations there and those other nations involved there for..." Read more

24 customers mention "Entertainment value"24 positive0 negative

Customers find the book entertaining, describing it as an excellent walk through the world that is consistently interesting and refreshingly lively.

"...4 stars for brevity, but an excellent introduction to geo-politics. Stimulating!" Read more

"It’s fun when you find a book where you learn something interesting on almost every page. Well written, and very informative. Loved it!" Read more

"...job of distilling the major regions of the world into concise, entertaining, and educational sections. I lost track of all my highlights!..." Read more

"...I found it fascinating and highly recommend it...." Read more

13 customers mention "Map quality"0 positive13 negative

Customers express dissatisfaction with the maps in the book, describing them as lousy and unsatisfying, with one customer noting they are very hard to read.

"...The only drawback is needing to view the maps in the book at the same time you're reading it...." Read more

"...only a primer on a selection of big-ticket countries and does not go into a lot of detail...." Read more

"...The subtitle, however, does not: the maps are distinctly disappointing, and don't illustrate the (excellent) premises of the text nearly as well as..." Read more

"...The section was not nearly as comprehensive as it could have been, and makes me wonder if the author actually has a good Latin American background." Read more

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Michael A. Taubitz
Excellent book
Reviewed in the United States on February 1, 2025
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This helps put the “geo” in geopolitics. Great insight on why and how nations act as they do…. Happy that I took the time to read this

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Maria Ines Carias
The power of geography!
Reviewed in the United States on August 23, 2023
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The book Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps That Explain Everything About the World (Politics of Place Book 1) by journalist Tim Marshall explores the impact that geography has on international relations. Marshall uses ten maps of key regions of the world to explain how the physical aspects of a country, such as its location, its climate, its natural resources, and its borders, can influence its foreign policy.

The book begins with a discussion of the importance of geography in politics. Marshall argues that the leaders of countries are not completely free to make their own decisions, since their options are limited by geographical conditions. For example, Russia needs to have a navy in order to project its power to the world, but its ports are frozen for six months of the year, limiting its ability to operate at sea.

Marshall then examines ten key regions of the world, using maps to illustrate his points. In the chapter on Russia, for example, Marshall explains how Russia's location between Europe and Asia, its extreme climate, and its long borders have made it vulnerable to foreign invasions. In the chapter on China, Marshall explains how geography has helped China become an economic powerhouse, but has also limited its ability to project its military power.

The book concludes with a discussion of the future of geography in politics. Marshall argues that geography will continue to be an important factor in international relations, but that the impact of geography may be tempered by technological development. For example, the development of aircraft and ballistic missiles has allowed countries to extend their military power further, reducing the importance of land borders.

Prisoners of Geography is a fascinating and well written book that offers a new perspective on international politics. The book is a must-read for anyone who wants to better understand how geography affects the world around us.

Here are some of the book's highlights:

The book uses maps effectively to illustrate its points.
The book is accessible to the general reader, but it is also informative for readers who are more knowledgeable about geography.
The book is relevant to current events as it discusses the implications of geography for the politics of the major world powers.
The book is a good starting point to learn more about the importance of geography in international politics.
If you are interested in learning more about international politics, I recommend reading Prisoners of Geography. It is a book that will help you better understand the world around you.

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24 people found this helpful

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buyer
This book is for all intelligent people!
Reviewed in the United States on March 23, 2025
Verified Purchase
Who knew!!!!! Mr. Marshall makes one think. Maps ARE lines! What he writes about is SO logical!! I cannot say when I have been awed by a book! BRAVO!!!

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Blackbeagle
Excellent!
Reviewed in the United States on February 15, 2025
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Informative. Factual. Easy flow. Good read.

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Beat a ’Bhèist
Must Read- Well Informed Work, Factual- All Perspectives: Military, Political, Technological Etc..
Reviewed in the United States on November 2, 2018
Verified Purchase
This is a must read book. US Veterans whom have read it and either "trained" for and or "fought" in regions discussed claim it to be a "highly" militarily factual representation of the "challenges" faced in various Global "theaters" of operation not only geographically but also "politically" with very few errors.... in authors "assessments"!!!! Furthermore, "technologically" and "demographically" it points out numerous "interesting" points, such as on page number 242 were the author asserts "America is an Arctic nation without an Arctic strategy in a region that is heating up." Furthermore, the author points out on page 251 of hard copy, that in 2014 Russia conducted "military exercises" in the Arctic Region with 155,00 troops and the exercise opponents were in fact named "Missouri" and "an unnamed Asian power [Japan] which had already clashed with Russia" in the past (Sino-Russian Conflict; WWIII etc..)! (Do not recall these simple facts making it into main-stream American Media reporting-interestingly enough!) Furthermore, IAW author in the case of the former Tsarist Russian Empire-Soviet Union, its leaders purposely left "pockets" of pro-Soviet/Russian populations in place as the Empire expanded and/or contracted to utilize various "political" reasons....if it so chose!!!! Interesting point!

As far as Latin America or South America, the author really hits home the fact most of the "continents" population resides along the coasts and the numerous difficulties in establishing development in the vast interior, and issues arising from this such as "deforestation" of the rain forest, as well as numerous difficulties these nations face in bringing "goods" from the interior to port, etc....! On this note, in the "conclusion" on page 260- the author states "To take an extreme and unlikely scenario: imagine a majority Hispanic Florida has seceded from the United States and allied itself with Cuba or Mexico. This would alter only the dynamics of whom controlled the Gulf, not the importance of the location!" Clearly, a very poignant point about the total and absolute "importance" of geography and too some extent "demographics" and its role in shaping national strategic policies.....not only in the US but around the Globe!

The author, also has a very interesting take on "Africa" and the countless issues facing nations there and those other nations involved there for various reasons. The author makes a point of "hammering" home the massive Chinese involvement in nations in Africa and why other nations must also follow suit to some degree, not only in Africa but around the Globe as well.

Finally, the author touches on points of "global" warming and the impacts it may play Globally as well as "outer-space" and numerous global national issues there as well.

In a nut shell this is must read- well informed, factual work- from most all perspectives (Military, Political, Technological Etc..) for those interested in Global Politics and Current Affairs!

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25 people found this helpful

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Glen M. Ternes
Great knowledge of geography, good read.
Reviewed in the United States on February 23, 2025
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Very interesting and well presented. Way too much interjection of unproven theory of global warming. The fear mongers of the1970's predicted Florida would be under water by 2020. Now that sure didn't happen, did it.

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4 people found this helpful

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RKmerica
Great book on world geography and history
Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2025
Verified Purchase
Like/dislike: A lot of eye-opening sections; this book should be *THE* book for world history/geography in school.

Recommend: Definitely recommend to anyone, like me, that only knew history according to a US-based World History class/textbook in school.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5 stars)

Moral of the story: Earth would've seen world peace a *LONG* time ago if it weren't for white settlers/explorers rewriting maps to their liking.

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To King Yok
Very educational and engaging.
Reviewed in Singapore on September 15, 2023
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I would like better quality paper. There is so much that I can learn about geography and its impact on countries.

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Jimena
Buen libro. Papel reciclado
Reviewed in Mexico on December 28, 2020
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El contenido del libro es realmente interesante.
Ambas versiones (pasta dura y suave) están impresas en papel reciclado.

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Axel W
Klug und auf den Punkt gebracht
Reviewed in Germany on January 16, 2017
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Sehr prägnant bringt Tim Marshall eine immer wieder unterschätzte Größe der Weltpolitik wieder ins Spiel: Die Geografie. Der Schreibstil ist journalistisch unaufgeregt und trotzdem anschaulich.

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Davide Alberti
Interessantissimo
Reviewed in Italy on September 18, 2022
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Libro molto interessante, sia per il lettore occasionale che per gli specialisti di Relazioni Internazionali.
Come molti libri che ho letto ultimamente (forse è solo una mia impressione personale), il livello di interesse degli argomenti e di densità delle informazioni contenute decresce lentamente al procedere della lettura, rendendo il finale doveroso ma leggermente faticoso.
Prosa buona (ma non ottima), utile anche per migliorare un po' il proprio vocabolario di inglese.
Lo consiglio.

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Alfonso
Muy entretenido
Reviewed in Spain on August 9, 2021
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Top reviews from the United States

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5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book

4.0 out of 5 stars The power of geography!

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is for all intelligent people!

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!

5.0 out of 5 stars Must Read- Well Informed Work, Factual- All Perspectives: Military, Political, Technological Etc..

4.0 out of 5 stars Great knowledge of geography, good read.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book on world geography and history

Top reviews from other countries

5.0 out of 5 stars Very educational and engaging.

5.0 out of 5 stars Buen libro. Papel reciclado

5.0 out of 5 stars Klug und auf den Punkt gebracht

5.0 out of 5 stars Interessantissimo

5.0 out of 5 stars Muy entretenido

Excellent book

The power of geography!

This book is for all intelligent people!

Excellent!

Must Read- Well Informed Work, Factual- All Perspectives: Military, Political, Technological Etc..

Great knowledge of geography, good read.

Great book on world geography and history

Very educational and engaging.

Buen libro. Papel reciclado

Klug und auf den Punkt gebracht

Interessantissimo

Muy entretenido