Even just the simple “where was I born” question explains so much about my opportunities in life, education etc.īelgium wouldn’t have the questionable claim to fame of being Western Europe’s battleground if it wasn’t so conveniently flat, nor would culture in Bhutan have developed in such a singular way were it not isolated by mountains. Geography is often seen as a bit of a pointless subject in schools – a bit fluffy and not of any practical use – but I was always drawn by how topography and natural resources combined with location could at least partly predict the fate of the people who lived there.
How a flat piece of paper could tell me about mountains, churches, prehistoric monuments and details of the coastline. My dad was a geography teacher so I grew up with the fascination of (& for) maps. Prisoners of Geography by Tim Marshall bears the (for me at least) irresistible subtitle of “Ten Maps that tell you everything you need to know about Global politics”…and as someone working in global business it sounded like just the book for me! And while it was written before the COVID-19 pandemic, the book’s exploration of the challenges and opportunities presented by disease outbreaks highlights the continued relevance of the themes addressed within the book.Īside from the fact that in my case nomen really is omen and I find it hard to resist a good book, there were a number of things that drew me to break my self-imposed book purchasing ban…not only the fact that I’d resisted it for years at airports around the world. Yes, maybe I’m a map nerd but I blame my Dad!įrom the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East to the rise of nationalism in Europe and the United States, the book’s insights into the influence of geographical factors on politics and international relations have been underscored in a dramatic fashion. But reading it in the light of recent events, it’s almost eerie how prescient Marshall’s analysis of the ongoing tensions between nations and regions has proven to be.
The book is a captivating read that provides a unique perspective on the world and how topography and location has shaped the actions and decisions of countries throughout history. In the book Prisoners of Geography by Tim Marshall, the specialist in foreign affairs looks at how geography has contributed to geopolitics in today’s world. Business is driven to some extent by geopolitics, so in order to be successful, you need to understand what’s going on in the world.
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