Strategic Atlas: A Comparative Geopolitics of the World's Powers

by Gérard Chaliand

English (translation)
Original French

Genres: Nonfiction, Reference, History

223 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1983

About the author

Gérard Chaliand is a French expert in geopolitics who has published widely on irregular warfare and military strategy.

Reviews

[Hari · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting as a snapshot into the world of 1990, as the year preceding the end of the USSR.
Much of the content and commentary concerns the Bi-polar geopolitical situation that existed as a consequence of the Cold War. Post 1991 the world changed radically and forever, yet this book is written as if the USSR would continue into the 21st century and as such relations between nations would be based upon this status quo. This position was normal for the time as few predicted the USSR would not be in existence in the new millennium. In this respect the book is obsolete, and yet it isn't because the geographical and natural resources situation has not changed markedly. The other major change to have occurred is Western (western aligned) leadership. In the 80s, 90s, 00s it was buoyed with optimism, today there is a great spectre of unease hanging over nations under USA hegemony. Discounting internal problems, I expect this change in atmosphere has come about because the world doesn't look like it does in this book. One of the most startling aspects is the commentary on fossil fuel exttraction, exportation and consumption. This is laid out in a matter of fact way as if it will continue unabated. Certainly anyone born after the year 2000, will have been conditioned to think very differently about this topic with the rise of Green discourse.

[Julio The Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Comrades! Let us first look at the map! Without a map, all our talk is mere claptrap". Leon Trotsky, during the Russian Civil War.
This book is never dated because national interests are perpetual. Think maps are the most disposable thing in the world? Think again. The world looks a whole lot different depending on what you are searching for, and that's why we need a strategic atlas. Take today's headlines: Iran's foreign policy is incredibly consistent from the days of the Shah to the 1979 Revolution to today. Its neighbors are neither enemies nor friends, and Iranian nationalists, right or left, must act accordingly. Poland must always balance Russia with Germany, and Russia can permit no rebellions or unfriendly states to its south, explaining Russian conduct in Afghanistan, Chechnya, and Ukraine, again regardless of regime. Latin America has only two regional powers, Mexico and Brazil, but oil allows Venezuela to play an outsize role, and location does the same for Cuba. The late Gérard Chaliand (D. 2026) has compiled an atlas that reveals much and startles even more. This volume is a must for the serious student of global politics.

[The_J · Rating 4 out of 5]

The world in pictures in 1993

[K.H. Vaughan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is dated but the underlying material remains essentially sound, and I believe that it is still worth review as an intellectual exercise. The authors provide clear and concise summaries of the major geopolitical thinkers who shaped the field, and then analyze the globe from a stategic perspective based on different geographic positions. The text is centered around maps, providing a variety of projections and perspectives that is quite illuminating. Various aspects of world events come into clearer focus in the exercise of working one's way through the book and seeing the world from the perspective of different regions.

The flaw in the book is its fairly thin coverage of the strategic concerns of regions outside the west; coverage is given, but it is limited in scope and depth. However, as a general survay (which is all it claims to be - an atlas of potential conflict) it is very successful, and I have a much clearer sense of how all the pieces fit than I did before reading it.

[Ken · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is dated but the underlying material remains essentially sound, and I believe that it is still worth review as an intellectual exercise. The authors provide clear and concise summaries of the major geopolitical thinkers who shaped the field, and then analyze the globe from a stategic perspective based on different geographic positions. The text is centered around maps, providing a variety of projections and perspectives that is quite illuminating. Various aspects of world events come into clearer focus in the exercise of working one's way through the book and seeing the world from the perspective of different regions.

The flaw in the book is its fairly thin coverage of the strategic concerns of regions outside the west; coverage is given, but it is limited in scope and depth. However, as a general survay (which is all it claims to be - an atlas of potential conflict) it is very successful, and I have a much clearer sense of how all the pieces fit than I did before reading it.

[Simon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goshers, this was my favourite book as a teenager. 10/10 would reads again rather than simply starting at the atlas as I did before I received this.

[Ven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hmmm. Mine is a "first edition" and a softcover...?