This book covers the history and outlook for 10 countries/geographies/contours (since it includes the Sahel & Space) - Australia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the UK, Greece, Turkey, the Sahel, Ethiopia, Spain and Space. I found the descriptions crisps covering only those aspects a reader would be interested in.

The coverage for each country/geography includes the historical context; current situation, challenges, rivalries and a sketchy future outlook. For instance, Australia, started off as a place where England moved prisoners. This naturally led to the original inhabitants being sidelined. A considerable portion of the country is the outback, which is unliveable. The current tensions with China which started during the pandemic. The other countries’ descriptions follow a similar pattern – Iran, rivalries with Saudi Arabia and hostility to Israel & the US. Saudi Arabia, the history of the Saud family, and the current effort to diversify the economy.


While I found all of it to be interesting, there is not much you would not already know if you have been following current affairs and know a bit of the history of the region. Yes, most of us would not go out and look for information about a set of countries, and having it in this readable format is a plus.

My rating: 3.75 / 5.

I think the first one was better. It wasn't bad but I think it missed quite a few of the elements that made Prisoners really good.

I was intrigued by former Sky journalist, Tim Marshall, would have to say on this topic and choice of countries and regions. This certainly an interesting read, his focus includes the UK, Iran, Australia, Sahel, Greece, Ethiopia, and the Middle East, although perhaps the most surprising choice may be viewed as space. However, I would add some caveats when it comes to reading this, it does not have the rigour which you might possibly expect from more academic studies, you should consider the perspectives and the biases that might have driven Marshall's particular choices, and the world has moved on since he first wrote this. I would recommend reading this, especially readers who are interested in geography, volatility, politics, power, and more, but advise approaching it with some thought and critical thinking. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

This was an enjoyable and informative read for me, though I think my biggest gripe is that it lacked a strong central thesis. Marshall presents a series of chapters which, although interesting in and of themselves, don't really connect together. Each is a standalone without a clear sense of why these nations or geographical regions have been chosen out of the many candidates, other than that they are places where interesting things could happen in the coming years. The link to geography itself is loose, with only occasional references.

In each chapter, the history of an area is deftly laid out, before moving onto current events and future possibilities. Some areas of the world are underrepresented. South America doesn't feature, potentially because it doesn't have any kind of up-and-coming status in the author's view. The final chapter is more innovative and unexpected as it turns our gaze towards space.

The level of analysis is helpful at points, but frustratingly shallow at others. For myself, I particularly noticed this when my home nation of the UK (Scotland specifically) came under the lens. There were quite a few minor inaccuracies, plus discussion of what Scottish independence might mean for the nation didn't get any further than the fairly obvious, where the writer wasn't leaning into misleading assumptions. I'm concerned about what this means for the rest of the book and his discussion of places for which I don't have the same familiarity. What errors and presumption lie there?

Marshall's journalistic background clearly shines through in his approach to his topics, these concerns notwithstanding. It's definitely worth the read and, I would imagine, serves as a helpful starting point to exploring the identity and potential of each place.

Based on the title, I expected this book to be about how geography shapes history. Instead, it’s a geopolitical history, emphasis on political. Maybe if I hadn’t been expecting something else, I would have enjoyed this book. Unfortunately, the text didn’t engage my interest.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.