Prisoners of Geography by Tim Marshall

I had been spotting this in bookshops for over a year before I read it. Obviously, the word geography caught my eye every time (I have a BSc in Geography) and I was so so tempted but for some reason I never bought it. In the end, one of my friends off of my Geology masters had the book and allowed me to borrow it. I then hoarded it for a bit until Non-Fiction November came around, and now I had no excuse for putting it off anymore.

This book covers how the physical geography of our planet has influenced the political lines that are present today. How waterways can increase trade capabilities, how the US was so easily made into one large country (at the expense of the natives already living there) and why Africa isn’t as developed as other areas in the world as well as much more.

It goes into the impact that geography has had historically on politics, as well as what is happening in the present (Russia anyone?) and how the future is likely to progress, still being restricted by the world around us. An incredibly interesting read and one I’m glad I finally got around to! 4.5/5*