World history with geography in the title role

"World history with geography in the title role"

"Ulrika Stahre about the book that wants to explain everything by maps"

"the First time I encountered the theories of tumultuous significance to the human endeavor were in the early 1900s antikforskare. Where it was alleged that the reason for the Greek culture to the rapid development and success was the many mountains, and the sea. The mountains challenged the mind and the body, and the sea gave contacts, much as was declared in the Greek kynnet – limited and at the same time freely."

"And it is true, of course, that the sea was an asset – trade, war, fishing. In Tim marshall's now on the Swedish issued Tumultuous power, he goes to the bottom of tumultuous significance for world politics, for nations and parts development. He muddles, and we thank you for, into mentalitetsspekulationer."

"Here it is mountains, rivers, plains and ports and how the economy, supply and connectors in the surrounding area are totally dependent on these resources, the respective barriers. To Russia, with its huge surface, however, despite the suffering of not having access to a warmer port than in Vladivostok is for example the reason why the Crimea will be so interesting for Putin, as well as to Japan, in principle, never become the attack thanks to its excellent isolated location, protected by a temperate sea."

"With the exclusively geographical explanations, it is not possible to understand colonialism, slavery"

"Marshall writes a sort of summary world history, where geography plays the main role, and transitioning to analyse the current political situation with the bottom also in nations more or less natural limits, and what these, especially the less natural, scored for the consequences."

"the Book is divided into ten chapters and just as many maps, starting with Russia and ending with the Arctic. From the world's largest nation into a oil reserve and a transport route that several are fighting for – from the stable tundra, and the taiga to the future miljökollaps."

"by the way, it is an equally detail - as an educational depiction. However, not perspektivrik. Everything in the entire history of the world and contemporary conflicts are explained in geopolitical terms. At the end of the book, admittedly, ”great minds and great leaders also influence the course of history, the direction of”, but more explanations are said to be. It was not the mountains and the sea which forced the greeks to keep slaves, hardly the great river systems and favourable natural borders, which the american businessman to do the same. Or merely the craving for natural resources, which started a Falklandskrig."

"Now can't Tim Marshall to explain it all in a single book, but it is, after all, something that chafe with this, also interesting, of reduction. Probably, it is very typical for our time: transparency and clarity have replaced the more daring attempts to theorize about our reality. Marshall writes in a companionable tone, this rests with no oddities."

"the Problem is he mainly in the section on the african continent. Here it is, unlike the more manageable north american, so blessed by natural advantages, the most trouble. River systems is not linked, for many waterfalls and rapids for effective transport, a coast that does not invite hamnbyggen, impenetrable jungle, the few cultivable areas."

"As of an event colonized large parts of the continent, a exploitation on the basis of which continued into our time. This fundamental fact to be discussed, of course, of Marshall, however, are reduced mainly to the discussion on borders. These are deeply problematic by being as good as random, and cut right through ethnic groups, languages, traditions – a political geography that africans forced into and still live with."

"With the exclusively geographical explanations, it is not possible to understand colonialism, like slavery or the arts significance, or whatever – so therefore Marshall most shine when he has greater control of their materials, and where nations are older, such as China, Russia. Where there is a known and consciously national aspirations."

"Borders, and nations' quest to consolidate and perhaps with a bit of luck and gods blessing extend to them, is in marshall's eyes, the beginning and the end of the year. Despite the fact that the Tumultuous power grip the whole world becomes the ultimately claustrophobic."

"Tumultuous power: Ten maps that explain the world"