Prisoners of Geography examines how the decisions of political leaders are constrained by mountains, rivers, seas and many other geographical factors which tend to be overlooked. The book is divided into ten parts: Russia, China, the USA, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Japan and Korea, and the Arctic. 

I think that this book was a very interesting read, even though I don’t necessarily think that geography can fully account for the complex historical and contemporary conflicts which pervade the world. I really enjoyed reading about the strategic importance of Tibet and was especially fascinated by the geopolitics of Sub-Saharan Africa. I was a bit disappointed by the maps because I expected from the title that the book would focus more on them.  Overall, I learned a lot and would recommend it to anyone interested in the topic or in need of a refreshing read which goes beyond the narratives we usually hear in the media.