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Prisoners of Geography
- Ten Maps That Explain Everything About the World
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 8 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Politics & Social Sciences, Politics & Government
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The Revenge of Geography
- What the Map Tells Us About Coming Conflicts and the Battle Against Fate
- Written by: Robert D. Kaplan
- Narrated by: Michael Prichard
- Length: 13 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall3.5 out of 5 stars 6
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Performance3 out of 5 stars 5
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Story3.5 out of 5 stars 5
In The Revenge of Geography, Robert D. Kaplan builds on the insights, discoveries, and theories of great geographers and geopolitical thinkers of the near and distant past to look back at critical pivots in history and then to look forward at the evolving global scene. Kaplan traces the history of the world's hot spots by examining their climates, topographies, and proximities to other embattled lands.
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1 out of 5 stars
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Aaargh
- By Muzik on 2020-04-23
Written by: Robert D. Kaplan
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Shadowplay: Behind the Lines and Under Fire
- The Inside Story of Europe's Last War
- Written by: Tim Marshall
- Narrated by: Tim Marshall
- Length: 8 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 4
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 4
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 4
The shattering of Yugoslavia in the 1990s showed that, after nearly 50 years of peace, war could return to Europe. It came to its bloody conclusion in Kosovo in 1999. Tim Marshall, then diplomatic editor at Sky News, was on the ground covering the Kosovo War. This is his illuminating account of how events unfolded, a thrilling journalistic memoir drawing on personal experience, eyewitness accounts, and interviews with intelligence officials from five countries.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A wonderful narrative.
- By AcuraF1 on 2020-02-22
Written by: Tim Marshall
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The Age of Walls
- How Barriers Between Nations Are Changing Our World
- Written by: Tim Marshall
- Narrated by: Nigel Patterson
- Length: 7 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 6
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 5
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 5
The globe has always been a world of walls, from the Great Wall of China to Hadrian's Wall to the Berlin Wall. But a new age of isolationism and economic nationalism is upon us, visible not just in Trump's obsession with building a wall on the Mexico border or in Britain's Brexit vote but in many other places as well. China has the Great Firewall, holding back Western culture. Europe's countries are walling themselves against immigrants, terrorism, and currency issues. In fact, at least 65 countries have barriers along their borders. Understanding what is behind these divisions is essential to understanding much of what's going on in the world today.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Tim Marshall Nails It Again
- By Anonymous User on 2020-07-31
Written by: Tim Marshall
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Disunited Nations
- The Scramble for Power in an Ungoverned World
- Written by: Peter Zeihan
- Narrated by: Peter Zeihan, Roy Worley
- Length: 16 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 70
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 62
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 61
In Disunited Nations, geopolitical strategist Peter Zeihan presents a series of counterintuitive arguments about the future of a world where trade agreements are coming apart and international institutions are losing their power. Germany will decline as the most powerful country in Europe, with France taking its place. Every country should prepare for the collapse of China, not North Korea. We are already seeing, as Zeihan predicts, a shift in outlook on the Middle East: it is no longer Iran that is the region’s most dangerous threat, but Saudi Arabia.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Peter Zeihan is the Mark Twain of Geopolitics
- By KT on 2020-03-08
Written by: Peter Zeihan
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Diplomacy
- Written by: Henry Kissinger
- Narrated by: Paul Woodson
- Length: 37 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 3
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 2
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 2
Moving from a sweeping overview of history to blow-by-blow accounts of his negotiations with world leaders, Henry Kissinger describes how the art of diplomacy has created the world in which we live, and how America's approach to foreign affairs has always differed vastly from that of other nations. Brilliant, controversial, and profoundly incisive, Diplomacy stands as the culmination of a lifetime of diplomatic service and scholarship. It is a must-listen for anyone concerned with the forces that have shaped our world today and will impact upon it tomorrow.
Written by: Henry Kissinger
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The Silk Roads
- A New History of the World
- Written by: Peter Frankopan
- Narrated by: Laurence Kennedy
- Length: 24 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 7
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 7
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 7
It was on the Silk Roads that East and West first encountered each other through trade and conquest, leading to the spread of ideas, cultures, and religions. From the rise and fall of empires to the spread of Buddhism and the advent of Christianity and Islam, right up to the great wars of the 20th century - this book shows how the fate of the West has always been inextricably linked to the East.
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5 out of 5 stars
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incredible
- By David on 2021-05-14
Written by: Peter Frankopan
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The Revenge of Geography
- What the Map Tells Us About Coming Conflicts and the Battle Against Fate
- Written by: Robert D. Kaplan
- Narrated by: Michael Prichard
- Length: 13 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall3.5 out of 5 stars 6
-
Performance3 out of 5 stars 5
-
Story3.5 out of 5 stars 5
In The Revenge of Geography, Robert D. Kaplan builds on the insights, discoveries, and theories of great geographers and geopolitical thinkers of the near and distant past to look back at critical pivots in history and then to look forward at the evolving global scene. Kaplan traces the history of the world's hot spots by examining their climates, topographies, and proximities to other embattled lands.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Aaargh
- By Muzik on 2020-04-23
Written by: Robert D. Kaplan
-
Shadowplay: Behind the Lines and Under Fire
- The Inside Story of Europe's Last War
- Written by: Tim Marshall
- Narrated by: Tim Marshall
- Length: 8 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 4
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 4
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 4
The shattering of Yugoslavia in the 1990s showed that, after nearly 50 years of peace, war could return to Europe. It came to its bloody conclusion in Kosovo in 1999. Tim Marshall, then diplomatic editor at Sky News, was on the ground covering the Kosovo War. This is his illuminating account of how events unfolded, a thrilling journalistic memoir drawing on personal experience, eyewitness accounts, and interviews with intelligence officials from five countries.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A wonderful narrative.
- By AcuraF1 on 2020-02-22
Written by: Tim Marshall
-
The Age of Walls
- How Barriers Between Nations Are Changing Our World
- Written by: Tim Marshall
- Narrated by: Nigel Patterson
- Length: 7 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 6
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 5
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 5
The globe has always been a world of walls, from the Great Wall of China to Hadrian's Wall to the Berlin Wall. But a new age of isolationism and economic nationalism is upon us, visible not just in Trump's obsession with building a wall on the Mexico border or in Britain's Brexit vote but in many other places as well. China has the Great Firewall, holding back Western culture. Europe's countries are walling themselves against immigrants, terrorism, and currency issues. In fact, at least 65 countries have barriers along their borders. Understanding what is behind these divisions is essential to understanding much of what's going on in the world today.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Tim Marshall Nails It Again
- By Anonymous User on 2020-07-31
Written by: Tim Marshall
-
Disunited Nations
- The Scramble for Power in an Ungoverned World
- Written by: Peter Zeihan
- Narrated by: Peter Zeihan, Roy Worley
- Length: 16 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 70
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 62
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 61
In Disunited Nations, geopolitical strategist Peter Zeihan presents a series of counterintuitive arguments about the future of a world where trade agreements are coming apart and international institutions are losing their power. Germany will decline as the most powerful country in Europe, with France taking its place. Every country should prepare for the collapse of China, not North Korea. We are already seeing, as Zeihan predicts, a shift in outlook on the Middle East: it is no longer Iran that is the region’s most dangerous threat, but Saudi Arabia.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Peter Zeihan is the Mark Twain of Geopolitics
- By KT on 2020-03-08
Written by: Peter Zeihan
-
Diplomacy
- Written by: Henry Kissinger
- Narrated by: Paul Woodson
- Length: 37 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 3
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 2
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 2
Moving from a sweeping overview of history to blow-by-blow accounts of his negotiations with world leaders, Henry Kissinger describes how the art of diplomacy has created the world in which we live, and how America's approach to foreign affairs has always differed vastly from that of other nations. Brilliant, controversial, and profoundly incisive, Diplomacy stands as the culmination of a lifetime of diplomatic service and scholarship. It is a must-listen for anyone concerned with the forces that have shaped our world today and will impact upon it tomorrow.
Written by: Henry Kissinger
-
The Silk Roads
- A New History of the World
- Written by: Peter Frankopan
- Narrated by: Laurence Kennedy
- Length: 24 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 7
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 7
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 7
It was on the Silk Roads that East and West first encountered each other through trade and conquest, leading to the spread of ideas, cultures, and religions. From the rise and fall of empires to the spread of Buddhism and the advent of Christianity and Islam, right up to the great wars of the 20th century - this book shows how the fate of the West has always been inextricably linked to the East.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
incredible
- By David on 2021-05-14
Written by: Peter Frankopan
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The Next 100 Years
- A Forecast for the 21st Century
- Written by: George Friedman
- Narrated by: William Hughes
- Length: 9 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 13
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 8
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Story4 out of 5 stars 8
In The Next 100 Years, Friedman turns his eye on the future. Drawing on a profound understanding of history and geopolitical patterns dating back to the Roman Empire, he shows that we are now, for the first time in half a millennium, experiencing the dawn of a new historical cycle.
Written by: George Friedman
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The Storm Before the Calm
- America's Discord, the Coming Crisis of the 2020s, and the Triumph Beyond
- Written by: George Friedman
- Narrated by: Bruce Turk
- Length: 9 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 30
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 27
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 27
In his riveting new book, noted forecaster and best-selling author George Friedman turns to the future of the United States. Examining the clear cycles through which the United States has developed, upheaved, matured, and solidified, Friedman breaks down the coming years and decades in thrilling detail.
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3 out of 5 stars
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It's Okay
- By Jazz on 2020-11-11
Written by: George Friedman
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Understanding Cultural and Human Geography
- Written by: Paul Robbins, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Paul Robbins
- Length: 12 hrs and 9 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 6
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 6
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Story5 out of 5 stars 6
In addition to the study of the environment, Professor Robbins examines the wide-ranging implications of a world economy. You'll explore the wellspring of culture and delve into the thorny issues of geography, ethnicity, and statehood. When you complete this course, you'll have all the tools you need to look beyond the headlines and analyze world events in a whole new way.
Written by: Paul Robbins, and others
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Debt - Updated and Expanded
- The First 5,000 Years
- Written by: David Graeber
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 17 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 97
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 83
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 81
Here, anthropologist David Graeber presents a stunning reversal of conventional wisdom: He shows that before there was money, there was debt. For more than 5,000 years, since the beginnings of the first agrarian empires, humans have used elaborate credit systems to buy and sell goods - that is, long before the invention of coins or cash. It is in this era, Graeber argues, that we also first encounter a society divided into debtors and creditors.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Interesting but heavy
- By Sohaib Shahid on 2021-01-01
Written by: David Graeber
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The Gene
- An Intimate History
- Written by: Siddhartha Mukherjee
- Narrated by: Dennis Boutsikaris
- Length: 19 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 88
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 74
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 74
The extraordinary Siddhartha Mukherjee has written a biography of the gene as deft, brilliant, and illuminating as his extraordinarily successful biography of cancer. Weaving science, social history, and personal narrative to tell us the story of one of the most important conceptual breakthroughs of modern times, Mukherjee animates the quest to understand human heredity and its surprising influence on our lives, personalities, identities, fates, and choices.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A book to be read, again and again.
- By Robert Lofstedt on 2017-11-04
Written by: Siddhartha Mukherjee
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The Absent Superpower
- The Shale Revolution and a World Without America
- Written by: Peter Zeihan
- Narrated by: Toby Sheets
- Length: 13 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 23
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 22
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 22
In 2014's The Accidental Superpower, geopolitical strategist Peter Zeihan made the case that geographic, demographic, and energy trends were unravelling the global system. Zeihan takes the story a step further in The Absent Superpower, mapping out the threats and opportunities as the world descends into disorder.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Detailed and interesting!
- By Jennifer Gillingham on 2020-02-25
Written by: Peter Zeihan
Publisher's Summary
Maps have a mysterious hold over us. 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. 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.
All leaders of nations are constrained by geography. In this audiobook, 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.
Marshall explains the complex geo-political strategies that shape the globe. Why is Putin so obsessed with Crimea? Why was the US destined to become a global superpower? Why does China's power base continue to expand? Why is Tibet destined to lose its autonomy? Why will Europe never be united? The answers are geographical.
What the critics say
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What listeners say about Prisoners of Geography
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 2020-01-08
good informative and accurate
good informative and accurate, but would have been nice to have maps attached to like in a PDF version or something
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- George
- 2019-11-17
Awesome book
I really enjoyed this book to the fullest. Really interesting to see how geography has been so influential in shaping countries. It also provides you with a better understanding about foreign policies.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jeff T. Miller
- 2020-03-12
Where are the maps?
Great book - I love the description of the land features. But come on... where is the PDF for the maps?
264 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Sherry
- 2017-06-19
It's a Book about Maps! Please provide the Maps!
Loved this book but, come on! It's a book about TEN MAPS THAT EXPLAIN EVERYTHING ABOUT THE WORLD! I paid for the book. I paid for the maps. Please include a PDF of the maps!!!!!
449 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Michael
- 2016-12-21
Great Narrator
I wish I could go back and reduce my prior performance ratings to make this one more valuable. Scott Brick's quietly dramatic, slightly sinister tone made what would have been a simply fine nonfiction into a captivating listen. Highly engaging content as well.
86 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Lee Ward
- 2017-02-18
Narration made all the material tantalizing
I like the book, the material, but I think the star here was the narrator. I kept wishing I could narrate like Scott Brick did with this book.
Most of the material was generally familiar to me and yet I found the specifics kind of mesmerizing. I think it was in very large part to the narrator's delivery - brilliant!
61 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Raleigh
- 2017-01-05
TERRAIN AS DESTINY
? do the murky motives and actions of foreign countries interest you
? is it reasonable to think that where you live affects how you behave
? are there careless historic choices whose consequences reverberate for centuries
tim marshall has written a great book, in hopes of answering those questions
his journalist career took him to many of the world's war zones and hotspots
the hard lessons he learned there inform his view of geography's consequences
as you'd expect, the territories of china, india and russia are featured prominently
but the geographic limitations of africa and south america were also well discussed
the middle east chapters were more than insightful in making sense of that region
the book was most helpful in understanding other nation's stubborn and fearful behavior
their conduct seems more reasonable once history and topography are considered
marshall's book is a valuable lens with which to view our increasingly complex world
47 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Anon
- 2017-08-01
Good overview
Enjoyed the book. The performance was quite good for nonfiction.
As you might expect this book takes a very deterministic view of history and a strong knowledge of geography is required before listening to a book about maps. If you're familiar with current geopolitics this book will fill out your knowledge. If you're new to the topic there will be a barrage of historical context and interplay between regional powers.
If you think the title sounds interesting and you enjoy understanding geopolitics you'll enjoy this book. I suspect the book won't be very useful in 5+ years though. Consider a different title if reading this review in 2020 or beyond.
21 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Joanna DeSa
- 2017-08-01
Extraordinary
If ever you wondered what difference a mountain range, a tropical rainforest, a wide expanse of desert, or a river wide and deep enough for transport could make on a Nation and its "life, this is your book. Wonderfully narrated, with some level of forecasting that, given today's current state of political nationalism, and/or isolationism, causes one to pause, and think about the world's future, and one's place in it.
18 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Zinedine
- 2017-02-16
Looking at the world in Lee Kwan Yew's eyes.
Loved the Book.Very Informative.
The narrator's voice was epic! You will love this audible book.
13 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Wolfgang
- 2017-01-24
Different look at politics
Where does Prisoners of Geography rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
For non-fiction, in the top 10%.
Who was your favorite character and why?
Non-fiction. The explanation of Russian behavior based on Russia's geography was the most revealing.
Which scene was your favorite?
The description of America's great geographic fortune was an eye-opener. Rivers, oceans, farmland, minerals
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
It made me think about countries in a new way, and it made me get out my atlas.
Any additional comments?
Excellent length for the lay reader. 200 pages or so. I get discouraged by the 600+ non-fiction tomes.
25 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- stuart
- 2017-03-17
Food for thought
Thank you Tim for a book that helped me look outside the box. I am an African and though I think you handled the subject well . I do think that you were kind to Africa not drawing too much attention to the amount of corruption and nepotism that will hold back progress in this vast and beautiful continent. Africa needs desperately to utilise it's own mineral wealth instead of exporting it. South Africa is a country with great potential but stagnating with a poor growth because of poor leadership .Where .. oh ..where will we end up ?
32 people found this helpful