Where Prisoners was almost solely the influence of physical geography, The Power of Geography is almost exclusively human geography (see also: history) and I am personally more of a fan of the former. This should be mandatory reading for young people learning about the world. Is not about which country is called what and the capital named after whom. It's about the the consequence of the resources. The fact that Ethiopia has the Nile's source and Egypt depend heavily on it, so how this molds their relationship. Also, colonialism may be outdated but its consequences are everywhere if you look close enough. Now, in this revelatory new book, Marshall takes us into ten regions that are set to shape global politics and power. Find out why the Earth’s atmosphere is the world’s next battleground; why the fight for the Pacific is just beginning; and why Europe’s next refugee crisis is closer than we think.

Különben meg: szeretem a történelmet. Viszont a gyerekek utálják. Mert nekik unalmas: évszámok, rég meghalt királyok neve és uralkodási ideje, súlyos adathalmaz (mert az visszakérdezhető), ami agyonnyomja a mélyebb revelációkat – a pillanatot, amikor az ember megérti az összefüggést két időben és/vagy térben távol álló esemény között. United Kingdom: The nations of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland make up the United Kingdom, an island country in Western Europe who used its naval power to build the world's biggest empire which collapsed after World War 2. About half the size of France, its main European concern was to keep a balance of power and avoid one European country from becoming too powerful and threatening its empire. A country caught between being close to USA based on language and history and Europe based on proximity. Facing a growing independence movement from Scotland following Brexit which could impact its military and naval bases.In the first book, "Prisoners of Geography", Tim Marshall delivered what he promised. It focused on the physical geography of regions or nations and connected it to that nation's political and military strategies. I enjoyed reading it, and learned a fair bit about geopolitics. Saudi Arabia - religion vs. economics vs. a large extended royal family who is trying to replace oil with technology even as it's also watching extremist organizations. The book opens with a chapter on Australia. As an Australian I found it quite interesting reading a perspective on my country and people... “Now Australia looks around at its neighbourhood and wonders what role it should play, and whom it should play it with”... “Australia’s size and location are both it’s strength and its weakness...” non-fiction book by Tim Marshall The Power of Geography: Ten Maps that Reveal the Future of Our World An interesting chapter is the one on the Sahel region. Tim Marshall starts the chapter with the Chadian proverb “Where two rivers meet, the waters are never calm.” The chapter explores perhaps one of the most volatile regions in continental Africa. In addition, Marshall describes the fault lines of the region.

Compared to Marshall's previous book, "Prisoners of Geography," "The Power of Geography" is a bit less focused. While the former book zoomed in on the geopolitical implications of physical features like mountains, rivers, and coastlines, the latter takes a broader view of geography, considering everything from climate patterns to migration patterns. While this does make for a more comprehensive look at the subject, it can also feel a bit scattered at times. It also tends to oversimplify some of the complex issues it covers.

Iran is another country with interesting geopolitical concerns as it needs to access the seas to exports its lucrative oil reserves. Most of its oilfields are towards the country’s south, with some gas fields near the Persian Gulf. Iran exports these commodities to international markets through the Strait of Hormuz. The Strait is tight at its narrowest part. This enables Iran to muscle significant influence in the region as countries like Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Kuwait need the Strait to export their commodities to access the Arabian Sea. Iran uses this chokepoint to gain influence and focuses its navy in the Strait. As a result, part of the geopolitical struggle in the Middle East is not just based on religious divides but just as much on geopolitical power and exporting oil. Turkey - tension with Greece about the 'Blue Wave' territory as well as preferring non-interference while working at rebuilding it's destiny as a global power. "Democracy" (power/control) for the Islamist authorities while removal/elimination of dissents.