While the new “Great Game” has been played out across the Gulf between Saudi Arabia and Iran for many years now, 2019 has seen several moments where the “Cold War” seemed close to turning “Hot”. For better understanding of the issue, the following are well worth reading: Despite celebrating its 70th anniversary this year, the People’s Republic of China has been dealing with its fair share of problems, none of which seem likely to disappear in 2020. Bottom Line Up Front Entering 2020, there are a host of geopolitical trends that will significantly impact global security throughout the coming year and beyond. Emma Sky’s The Unravelling is perfect to follow up to Generation Kill. Author(s): David Oualaalou ID: 2840138, Publisher: Springer, Year: 2021, Size: 2 Mb, Format: pdf, Author(s): Ramakrushna Pradhan ID: 2897813, Publisher: Routledge India, Year: 2021, Size: 37 Mb, Format: pdf, Author(s): Ning An ID: 2447761, Publisher: Springer, Year: 2020, Size: 3 Mb, Format: pdf. Meanwhile, however, in Mozambique, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and West Africa, lesser-known insurgencies bubble insidiously, further from the eyes of Western media. The following are worth reading for an understanding of a potentially significant flashpoint for the coming year: The Middle East and North Africa region has dominated headlines in 2019, as one of the most geopolitically tense theatres, and this is unlikely to change in the coming year. As this list contains a staggering 210 books, it may be worth considering Amazon’s Kindle “Unlimited” programme as a more cost-effective way to get through the reading list. Lastly, Sri Lanka and the Maldives have overcome their volatile political situations, it now remains to be seen how the countries fare in 2020. Author(s): . Geopolitics, Northern Europe, and Nordic Noir: What Television Series Tell Us About World Politics (P… The freshly-re-elected Government in Maputo has bigger fish to fry, meanwhile, as it attempts to nip in the bud a burgeoning splinter movement from former RENAMO rebels in Sofala. Nonetheless, the book will hopefully inspire more insights from scholars in the developing world. This book discusses Central Asia not as a realm separate from the globalisation and progress of the 21st century, but as one where globalisation has planted its flag most strongly, and is beginning to antagonise the latent forces of radical Islam. Freedman charts the course of the conflict, from its turbulent beginnings of pressure on former President Yanukovych to turn away from Europe, to the failure of the Minsk peace process and how domestic politics developed, both in Ukraine and in Russia. The entire book also has the impact of globalisation in the Indian Subcontinent woven deeply into it. The result is a playing field sharply tilting against the United States.“Geoeconomics, the use of economic instruments to… Author(s): Ambassador Robert D. Blackwill, Jennifer M. Harris, In the bestselling tradition of The World Is Flat and The Next 100 Years, THE ACCIDENTAL SUPERPOWER will be a much discussed, contrarian, and eye-opening assessment of American power. Well documented and researched, this book ensures that its reader will never look at the nightly news the same way again. US military policy brings a lot of uncertainty heading in to 2020. On top of that, you can always find additional tutorials and courses on Coursera, Udemy or edX, for example. Similar to the cells operating in Mozambique, however, their capabilities are no realistic threat to central governance – even in the midst of an unpredictable Ebola outbreak in the east of the country. Looking for the best Geopolitics books? Across the Arabian/Persian Gulf, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and their predominantly Sunni allies seek to counter Iran’s growing influence across the region. Produced by Rose Friedman, Petra Mayer, Beth Novey and Meghan Sullivan | Executive Producer: Ellen Silva About. Winner of the 2019 ENMISA Distinguished Book Award from the International Studies Association. Them: The Failure of Globalism. Global Geopolitics Autocratic actions and political machinations also continue to be seen across the region, but beyond the palace walls other forces are beginning to take root across the region. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. I do see the geopolitical explanation, when I open the map, but that's pretty much it. The book lays out the current situation where the developing world is fast catching up with the developed world, and how this may affect the near and medium-term future where the West may not be the undisputed leader of the world anymore. Before Russia invaded Ukraine, it invaded Georgia. Destined for War: Can America and China Escape Thucydides’ Trap? From the stalled-but-ever-bloody war in Yemen to counter Iran-backed Houthi rebels, to their efforts to expand a presence across the Horn of Africa while building up their own military capabilities, the wealthy Gulf States appear to be scrambling to cement their own power in their near abroad. West Mosul is still in ruins, Sunnis are still disenfranchised, the Kurds are restive, and the collective sacrifices of the Iraqi people will not easily be forgotten. Concurrently, Beijing continues to slowly outmanoeuvre Taipei on the international relations stage, chipping away at the island nation’s foreign support. Finally, this piece tackles India’s social traditions and how some have lost importance, but other new ones have gained traction. 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. Although many observers have been surprised by the level of restraint shown by Beijing in dealing with Hong Kong, the question remains as to how long the government will continue to tolerate the insurrection. One of the more concrete features of the strategy – the rejuvenation of security cooperation between the so-called “Quad” of the US, Japan, Australia and India – has its own issues as China’s economic influence provides plenty of reason for three of its members to feel conflicted. Turkey – Kurdish Regional Government Relations After the U.S. Withdrawal from Iraq: Putting the Kurds on the Map? Dina Hassan (Lecturer, Modern Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, University of Oklahoma, USA) speaks with Nicola Pratt (Associate Professor, International Politics of the Middle East, University of Warwick, UK) about Pratt’s recent book, Embodying Geopolitics: Generations of Women’s Activism in Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2020). While the Russia-Georgia war of 2008 faded from the headlines, the geopolitical contest that created it did not… Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps That Explain Everything About the World (1) (Politics of Place) (2016) In this New York Times bestseller, an award-winning journalist uses ten maps of crucial regions to explain the geo-political strategies of […] As the modern centre of global geopolitcal power, the United States of America has continued unsurprisingly to overwhelm geopolitical discourse in 2019. Dr. Grant draws from history when discussing the Baltic States and Chechnya while looking to the present and future to expound on the legal ramifications of Russia’s annexation of Crimea and the separatist movements in the Donbas, as well as providing the reader with a strong foundation to understand how international law operates, and how bodies such as the International Court of Justice confront transgressions of the norms of international law. Policies governing everything from trade and investment to energy and exchange rates are wielded as tools to win diplomatic allies, punish adversaries, and coerce those in between. The… Author(s): Robert D. Kaplan, Far more than a history of the Silk Roads, this book is truly a revelatory new history of the world, promising to destabilize notions of where we come from and where we are headed next. The recently departed Secretary of Defense writes his (often standard and expected for the role) memoir, with a slight twist, covering Mattis’ lengthy service as a Marine as a foil to his service as a civilian. Couch, a former Navy SEAL and CIA Paramilitary officer has written similar books about the selection process for US Navy SEALs, Army Special Forces, Marine Critical Skills Operators and now the Army Rangers. Freedman’s unique perspective on this conflict sheds new light on a complex and globally-significant conflict, and challenges the idea of Putin both as geopolitical poker master and international puppet-master. Both states are part of Russia’s “near abroad”—former Soviet republics that are now independent states neighboring Russia. Central Asia remains a mysterious region to many Western observers, where clan loyalties matter more than national ones, and where despots and technocrats have made entire nations into their fiefdoms. While his intent may be to use his life story as anecdotes behind his simple rules to life, it is the stories that are more compelling. Neither truly European nor truly Asian, neither Western nor Eastern, Russia has continued to be its own beast in 2019. Best books of 2020: These 13 titles scored perfect 4-star reviews from USA TODAY's critics Barbara VanDenburgh, USA TODAY Published 2:44 pm UTC Dec. 11, 2020 Updated 6:30 pm UTC Dec. 11, 2020 This book provides excellent insight into how, in today's globalized world, there are no "safe" bets. While the UAE has long been exploring Israeli arms purchases, and the two states have cautiously seen each other as potential security partners against a resurgent Iran since at least 2009, we are now witnessing increasing levels of diplomatic openness between Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv. President Trump again failed to attend the recent ASEAN summit in Thailand, where moves towards a regional free-trade agreement we discussed. Iain Overton’s new book argues they have shaped the modern world to a surprisingly significant degree. With the departure of the ever-resistant UK, Brussels is likely to continue towards building a more integrated European Army in 2020. The Unraveling: High Hopes and Missed Opportunities in Iraq (Emma Sky). Cocktails from Hell is a tour de force that examines five of the wars which will be most influential globally, and the smorgasbord of actors and factors coming together which make them so complex. Often forgotten when discussing geopolitics is the pervasive effect of international law and how it shapes the actions of political actors. Stanley Hoffman was also one of my advisers [at Harvard]. The territorial claims pushed in the South China Sea by Beijing have continued to agitate regional and international naval operations, and much of the past year has been dedicated to discussing a possible conflict in the theatre. The remaining 125+ titles, as well as the lists we used are in alphabetical order at the bottom of the page. Not so in the United States, however. Khan avoids laboured narratives of China’s imperial past or framing Chinese policy as the actions of an aggressive revisionist state as other popular books on the subject sometimes do. If there’s one book that subtly demonstrates the ongoing movements in the Arab world, it’s this one. Freedman’s unique perspective on this conflict sheds new light on a complex and globally-significant conflict, and challenges the idea of Putin both as geopolitical poker master and international puppet-master. Taken as a whole, this number is striking, but taken as a yearly average – around 1,800 globally – it could be described as comparatively insignificant. Leaders across the continent of South America, however, will no doubt have found it more chilling. This fantastic “ten commandments of political risk analysis” examines a history of geopolitical predictions that have been wildly off the mark. , the buildup of NATO forces is ongoing, while the Kremlin has responded in kind inside the Kaliningrad oblast and Russia itself. books NPR’s Book Concierge. He then applies the lessons learned to the present crises in Europe, Russia, China, the Indian Subcontinent, Turkey, Iran, and the Arab Middle East. And yet, when it comes to geo-politics, much of what we are told is generated by analysts and other… Author(s): Tim Marshall, Written by one of the world's leading political geographers, this fully revised and updated textbook examines the dramatic changes wrought by ideological, economic, socio-cultural and demographic changes unleashed since the end of the Cold War. A relatively quick read for books in this genre, this book is a collection of 14 essays. After a turbulent year of geopolitical shifts, massive social unrest and unprecedented wildfires, the governments of South America – especially those in Brasilia, Buenos Aires, Santiago and La Paz – will be anticipating continued challenges in the months ahead. Frankopan teaches us that to understand what is at stake for the cities and nations built on these intricate trade routes, we must first understand their astounding pasts. Rojava: An Alternative to Imperialism, Nationalism, and Islamism in the Middle East, Turkey and the West: Fault Lines in a Troubled Alliance, Harpoon: Inside the Covert War Against Terrorism’s Money Masters, The Age of Jihad: Islamic State and the Great War for the Middle East, The Way of the Strangers: Encounters with the Islamic State, The Counter-Terrorism Handbook: Tactics, Procedures and Techniques, Blood Year: Islamic State and the Failures of the War on Terror, Libya remains tattered and in a state of turmoil, French and U.S. counterterrorism missions, From Empires to NGOs in the West African Sahel, Global NATO and the Catastrophic Failure in Libya, Terror and Insurgency in the Sahara-Sahel Region, Sowing Chaos: Libya in the Wake of Humanitarian Intervention, Security Cooperation in West Africa and the Sahel, Unfinished Revolutions: Yemen, Libya, and Tunisia after the Arab Spring, The Politics of Islam in the Sahel: Between Persuasion and Violence, Russian Engagements: On Libyan Politics and Libyan-Russian Relations, The Arab Spring: The End of Postcolonialism, The Arab Uprisings: What Everyone Needs to Know, Saudi Arabia in Transition: Insights on Social, Political, Economic and Religious Change, The Killing in the Consulate: The Life and Death of Jamal Khashoggi, Oman: Politics and Society in the Qaboos State, Algeria Modern: From Opacity to Complexity, Politics and Power in the Maghreb: Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco from Independence to the Arab Spring, Asia’s Cauldron: The South China Sea and the End of a Stable Pacific. Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media (Edward S. Herman & Noam Chomsky). Eamon Driscoll – Russia and Commonwealth of Independent States Analyst. Geopolitical Futures (GPF) was founded in 2015 by George Friedman, international strategist and author of The Next 100 Years. His successor will have to grapple with these issues against the backdrop of a country attempting to rebuild itself from the horrors of the Islamic State. Author(s): Tim Marshall, History and geography delineate the operation of power, not only its range but also the capacity to plan and the ability to implement. We think of this system as normal-it is not. Sea Power: The History and Geopolitics of the World’s Oceans (James Stavridis). This will remain more of a realistic concern as the growing insurgency digs deeper into Mali, Mauritania and Chad in the coming year, where it faces embedded French, US and international special forces. Drawing in part on rare access to China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs archives, Khan charts the development of Grand strategy under the Communist party from before the founding of the PRC to the present day. While these divides will be largely domestic in nature, their impact will be felt around the world. Saul Cohen considers these forces in the context of their human and physical settings, and explores their geographical influence on foreign policy and international relations…. John Scott – Crime and Insurgency Analyst. Meanwhile, Bangladesh’s economy has become a bright spot, and all signs point to it continuing to do so. A stark, well-researched, blow-by-blow account of failed US policies and wars in the Middle East and Southwest Asia, and how these are responsible for the chaos currently gripping large swathes of these regions, the decline of the American Empire, as well as the rise of Donald Trump. Editor’s note: While Dr Rogers is far too humble to put forward his own work for our reading list, his latest work alongside Professor of War Studies Caroline Kennedy-Pipe is due for release in 2020 (following a nail-biting delay for those of us keen to read it!). With Brexit bringing the never-quite-went-away spectre of violence in Northern Ireland back into focus, getting to grips with this oft-misunderstood conflict is critical. President Bolsonaro, who is already struggling in his attempt to tackle endemic corruption and economic strife, is particularly concerned about the loss of an economic ally in Argentina, and the increasing vulnerability of a second in Chile. It also sheds light on two other themes that are quite relevant for the so called ‘Asian Century’.