Monsoon - The Indian Ocean and the Future of American Power by Kaplan, Robert D. (October 19, 2010)
On the world maps common in America, the Western Hemisphere lies front and center, while the Indian Ocean region all but disappears. This convention reveals the geopolitical focus of the now-departed twentieth century, but in the twenty-first century that focus will fundamentally change. In this pivotal examination of the countries known as "Monsoon Asia"—which include India, Pakistan, China, Indonesia, Burma, Oman, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Tanzania—bestselling author Robert D. Kaplan shows how crucial this dynamic area has become to American power. It is here that the fight for democracy, energy independence, and religious freedom will be lost or won, and it is here that American foreign policy must concentrate if the United States is to remain relevant in an ever-changing world. From the Horn of Africa to the Indonesian archipelago and beyond, Kaplan exposes the effects of population growth, climate change, and extremist politics on this unstable region, demonstrating why Americans can no longer afford to ignore this important area of the world.
Editorial Reviews
From Booklist
An inveterate traveler and author, Kaplan recently toured the rim of the Indian Ocean to inspect its geopolitics. Perspectives on the balance of power vary from country to country and speaker to speaker, but most agree that India and China are the ascending powers in the region. As Kaplan's passages about Indian Ocean history reflect, the two countries can refer to tradition (to the fifteenth-century fleets of Zheng He, in China's case) for their contemporary activities in the Indian Ocean, but the plain fact is they are busy for one reason: access to resources. As Kaplan journeys from Oman to Pakistan to Burma and Indonesia, the specific raw material comes into focus, as does the geopolitical angle of safely shipping it to the interested country. Touching on what could threaten maritime traffic, such as piracy, ethnic conflicts, or hostile control of choke points like the Strait of Malacca, Kaplan is guardedly optimistic that interested powers, including the U.S., can benignly manage their Indian Ocean affairs. A better-informed world-affairs reader will be the result of Kaplan's latest title. --Gilbert Taylor
Review
"A sweeping narrative [that] deftly weaves history, reportage, and grand strategy . . . into a coherent portrait of an undercovered region whose importance will only grow in the decades to come."—Foreign Policy
"Few books can be considered indispensable, but Monsoon is one of them. . . . An essential primer for this new century's evolving politics."—The Dallas Morning News
"A special blend of first-person travel writing, brief historical sketches and wide-ranging strategic analysis."—The New York Times Book Review
"Compelling . . . Kaplan's breadth of travel and learning leads to intriguing insights."—The Washington Post
"[Kaplan] has a gift for geopolitical imagination."—The Wall Street Journal
Product details
- Paperback: 400 pages
- Publisher: Random House Trade Paperbacks; Reprint edition (September 13, 2011)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0812979206
- ISBN-13: 978-0812979206
- Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.9 x 8 inches
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