It also ignores the unprofessional and often embarrassing episodes of the Indian defence forces that make headlines every few months. The chapter on India and Pakistan is also skewed in India’s favour, where the author has ignored the extremism of the far right and the resulting fragmentation of society in India. The book mentions that India and China though are rivals but are separated by the mighty Himalayas that has prevented conflicts from escalating, however technology has overcome this obstacle and the LAC (Line of Actual Control, the de facto border between China and India in the Himalayas) is an active point of friction between the two powers. Though whatever challenges China faces due to its geography cannot be ignored the country has surprised most of the world by its rapid development.

The chapter on China in my opinion underestimates the rising power of the Chinese economic and military powerhouse, and thus underplays the role it would have in the world arena. The book is written from a slight USA biased perspective which can easily be detected in the language and the formulation of arguments by the author, nevertheless the book is highly informative and is guaranteed to widen the readers scope of knowledge and understanding of global geopolitics. The author argues though geography is not the only factor that effects the politics and prosperity of nations, it is a fundamental one. It is very easy to underestimate the power of geography and its effect on the collective psyche of a nation. The book explains how geography ties the fate of nations economically, socially, and thus politically and how this has guided history. The book consists of a foreword by Sir John Scarlett Ex-chief of the British MI6, an introduction, a conclusion, and the main body of the book which has 10 chapters each with a map at the beginning. Tim Marshall’s vast and comprehensive experience enriches the concepts and ideas in his book Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps That Tell You Everything You Need to Know About Global Politics.

Tim marshall geography book