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A History of the World in 47 Borders: The Stories Behind the Lines on Our Maps
People have been drawing lines on maps for as long as there have been maps to draw on. Sometimes rooted in physical geography, sometimes entirely arbitrary, these lines might often have looked very different if a war or treaty or the decisions of a handful of tired Europeans had gone a different way. By telling the stories of these borders, we can learn a lot about how political identities are shaped, why the world looks the way it does - and about human folly. From the Roman attempts to define the boundaries of civilisation, to the secret British-French agreement to carve up the Ottoman Empire during the First World War, to the reason why landlocked Bolivia still maintains a navy, this is a fascinating, witty and surprising look at the history of the world told through its borders.
368 pages, Hardcover
Published April 25, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 223 reviews
September 27, 2024
This book reads like your mate talking to you in the pub about their history lecture they half remember.
This book is bad history and poorly written. The history is so basic as to be farcical. As someone with a schooling in history this makes it almost comical. For a reader without a schooling, learning their history from this it is so poor and misrepresentative as to be malicious. There is absolutely no analysis or synthesis taking place here and just repeated bold (and misrepresentative) claims backed up by zero evidence or even footnotes.
The style of writing is also so incredibly poor I'm amazed this book even had an editor. Again it is written in such a chatty style as to be absurd. It repeatedly uses contractions (don't, won't) and capitalises random words. At some points the writing is so loose as to lose meaning.
Ultimately this is not a history of the world in 47 borders but rather a collection of short stories about 47 seemingly random borders. It is clear the author has no background in history, which is genuinely concerning that someone may look to get an understanding of history from this book/author. Although not every historian can write in an engaging style there are plenty who can, eg. Katja Hoyer, Chris Clarke, Tim Blanning. They will give you correct, genuine history with analysis and synthesis without talking down and dumbing everything down to you like this book does. If you are not a regular history reader, trust yourself that you can do better than this book.
This book is bad history and poorly written. The history is so basic as to be farcical. As someone with a schooling in history this makes it almost comical. For a reader without a schooling, learning their history from this it is so poor and misrepresentative as to be malicious. There is absolutely no analysis or synthesis taking place here and just repeated bold (and misrepresentative) claims backed up by zero evidence or even footnotes.
The style of writing is also so incredibly poor I'm amazed this book even had an editor. Again it is written in such a chatty style as to be absurd. It repeatedly uses contractions (don't, won't) and capitalises random words. At some points the writing is so loose as to lose meaning.
Ultimately this is not a history of the world in 47 borders but rather a collection of short stories about 47 seemingly random borders. It is clear the author has no background in history, which is genuinely concerning that someone may look to get an understanding of history from this book/author. Although not every historian can write in an engaging style there are plenty who can, eg. Katja Hoyer, Chris Clarke, Tim Blanning. They will give you correct, genuine history with analysis and synthesis without talking down and dumbing everything down to you like this book does. If you are not a regular history reader, trust yourself that you can do better than this book.
August 17, 2024
John Elledge takes us on a journey around the world and throughout history, exploring the many borders that have influenced many other things—politics, war, and peace, to name a few.
I enjoyed the book and found it a rather fascinating read. There were things I knew, things I thought I knew, things I learnt, and things that expanded my knowledge of our world. I wish more maps were provided throughout the chapters so we could see what Elledge told us.
I found throughout most of the book, however, that he did a lot of jibes at the British, especially on subjects he disagreed with. The one I remember most is his comment on British eurosceptics, a 1993 treaty and how it has been dividing them from their sanity ever since. A lot of his jibes were not necessary or relevant. If he does a second book on borders, which he mentioned could be possible, maybe he should learn to keep his language neutral.
I take my hat off for Captain Kelly. He shows us that not all white men, especially in times gone by, are the racists that they're portrayed to be. I find the fact that he was willing to take on the monumental task of surveying a border, a 400-mile border, in Africa with the heat, the less than friendly plants and wildlife and a moody fellow Captain quite an achievement, and one that should be applauded - especially when you take into count that he wanted to be sympathetic to the many tribes who lived around that border and make sure they remained together. Although he only made it, with his team, 200 miles, that's still more than most would have entertained.
One of the things I found myself agreeing with Elledge on was Bir Tawil. I agree that it should be given to the Ababda tribespeople—the only people who use the area for grazing their livestock—rather than to a nation that doesn't want it (for obvious reasons) or some losers on the internet who want it for nothing more than bragging rights.
Where we disagree, however, is on the subject of Palestine. I don't think you can be against colonialism but then also agree with what the Jews are doing to the Palestinians. Yes, the Jews suffered horrendously at the hands of the Nazis, but, maybe controversial, that then doesn't give them the right to act the way they did in the decades after - it could explain why throughout history they've been persecuted if that's an example of the behaviour their people exhibit. Maybe the Jews should be entitled to their own state, but it shouldn't be at the expense of others.
We also disagree on why the Virginian side of DC wanted to be returned to Virginia. Yes, they were enslavers and didn't see much wrong with the concept of slavery. Still, I feel he even talks about why they wanted out because they were cut out - all of the business and money opportunities were happening on the other side of the river. Maybe, just maybe, we will never know, had they been given the same financial opportunities, the slave business may not have been as profitable, and they'd have stayed as part of DC.
I did find it weird that he used the Argentinian name for the Falkland Islands but not the full name, just half. If you will be controversial, go all in or not bother. The Falkland people decided their fate, which should mean that the islands have only one name - regardless of what the Argentinians think.
Overall, the book was an interesting read, and I may have pestered my family with far too many things I found interesting throughout it. I think you should give it a read. You may learn something, you may not, but it may, like me, give you an excuse to bombard your loved ones with random snippets of information.
I enjoyed the book and found it a rather fascinating read. There were things I knew, things I thought I knew, things I learnt, and things that expanded my knowledge of our world. I wish more maps were provided throughout the chapters so we could see what Elledge told us.
I found throughout most of the book, however, that he did a lot of jibes at the British, especially on subjects he disagreed with. The one I remember most is his comment on British eurosceptics, a 1993 treaty and how it has been dividing them from their sanity ever since. A lot of his jibes were not necessary or relevant. If he does a second book on borders, which he mentioned could be possible, maybe he should learn to keep his language neutral.
I take my hat off for Captain Kelly. He shows us that not all white men, especially in times gone by, are the racists that they're portrayed to be. I find the fact that he was willing to take on the monumental task of surveying a border, a 400-mile border, in Africa with the heat, the less than friendly plants and wildlife and a moody fellow Captain quite an achievement, and one that should be applauded - especially when you take into count that he wanted to be sympathetic to the many tribes who lived around that border and make sure they remained together. Although he only made it, with his team, 200 miles, that's still more than most would have entertained.
One of the things I found myself agreeing with Elledge on was Bir Tawil. I agree that it should be given to the Ababda tribespeople—the only people who use the area for grazing their livestock—rather than to a nation that doesn't want it (for obvious reasons) or some losers on the internet who want it for nothing more than bragging rights.
Where we disagree, however, is on the subject of Palestine. I don't think you can be against colonialism but then also agree with what the Jews are doing to the Palestinians. Yes, the Jews suffered horrendously at the hands of the Nazis, but, maybe controversial, that then doesn't give them the right to act the way they did in the decades after - it could explain why throughout history they've been persecuted if that's an example of the behaviour their people exhibit. Maybe the Jews should be entitled to their own state, but it shouldn't be at the expense of others.
We also disagree on why the Virginian side of DC wanted to be returned to Virginia. Yes, they were enslavers and didn't see much wrong with the concept of slavery. Still, I feel he even talks about why they wanted out because they were cut out - all of the business and money opportunities were happening on the other side of the river. Maybe, just maybe, we will never know, had they been given the same financial opportunities, the slave business may not have been as profitable, and they'd have stayed as part of DC.
I did find it weird that he used the Argentinian name for the Falkland Islands but not the full name, just half. If you will be controversial, go all in or not bother. The Falkland people decided their fate, which should mean that the islands have only one name - regardless of what the Argentinians think.
Overall, the book was an interesting read, and I may have pestered my family with far too many things I found interesting throughout it. I think you should give it a read. You may learn something, you may not, but it may, like me, give you an excuse to bombard your loved ones with random snippets of information.
April 24, 2025
This is one of those awkward reviews when I started off really enjoying the book, but which quickly morphed into a strong dislike. As it says in the title, this is Elledge's dissemination of the world drawing on 47 borders- real and metaphysical. At first I thought so-Prisoners Of Geography -so good, as it is a blatant spin on the hugely popular book by Tim Marshall, and seemingly perfect for dipping into and consuming in small nuggets. What really started to irk me was the supposed 'humour' that Elledge employs, which then took a certain glibness that started to grate. His reference to, and I quote 'the whole Trail Of Tears thing' - reducing one of the most heartbreaking episodes of Native American history to no more than an aside for a cheap laugh, and his whole glib depiction of the Partition of India and Pakistan really jarred with me. Flicking through other chapters, I see that his 'humour' permeates the book throughout, and what seemed at first to be a really interesting examination of the subject of borders proved to be very disappointing.
June 17, 2025
An interesting sprint through some of the boundaries that have cropped up over time. For something that we take for granted when travelling there is a lot of nuance and detail, often farcial - such as places in Belgium/The Netherlands where the border runs through buildings.
Entertaining and engaging, though a little too jokey in places. The footnotes started to grate after a while.
Entertaining and engaging, though a little too jokey in places. The footnotes started to grate after a while.
July 12, 2024
This is a fun, flighty read of 47 essays dipping into ancient history, geography and geopolitics. Interesting tidbits and not too laborious, and fun way to pass the time.
Nice to see someone’s special side interest brought to the fore.
Nice to see someone’s special side interest brought to the fore.
May 6, 2024
If you're after a compendium of interesting stories about all kinds of geopolitical dividing lines, their origins, and their implications, interspersed with jokes, this'll do the job nicely. Elledge has a breezy, readable style - clearly influenced by the likes of Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett in both its tone and ability to make serious points while being amusing. This is likely to confuse the hell out of non-Brits at times both due to the humour and some of the references, but he's so evidently enjoying himself in his storytelling it's pretty hard not to get sucked in - especially when every chapter is likely to have something you didn't know. (My non-Brit, non-native English speaker wife has been having fun with it, at any rate.)
My one complaint - and the reason for a star being dropped - is the relative paucity of maps. There's not even one per chapter - even though most chapters would benefit from having several. Maybe one for an illustrated second edition eh, publishers?
One other thing to note: While the multiple short chapters make this look like a good one to dip in and out of, and perhaps kept by the loo, it's better read in order. Not only are the chapters mostly chronological, but they often contain references back to incidents, people and places mentioned earlier on.
My one complaint - and the reason for a star being dropped - is the relative paucity of maps. There's not even one per chapter - even though most chapters would benefit from having several. Maybe one for an illustrated second edition eh, publishers?
One other thing to note: While the multiple short chapters make this look like a good one to dip in and out of, and perhaps kept by the loo, it's better read in order. Not only are the chapters mostly chronological, but they often contain references back to incidents, people and places mentioned earlier on.
March 24, 2025
4.5
This is the sort of book I found difficult to put down; informative, humourous, topical and crammed with enough trivia to make me even more insufferable than normal. It does exactly what it says on the cover, as well as offering deeper musings on our obsession with borders and how we are defined by them as much as we create them. Ranging from the earliest recorded borders in ancient Egypt all the way to current and future flashpoints (the chapters on Ukraine and Palestine are compelling and sensitively handled), Elledge offers a potted history of these boundaries, as well as how they're implemented and examples of problems they can cause. While many of the chapters are comedic (such as the twin villages of Baarle, split between Belgium and the Netherlands and an unlikely tourist attraction thanks to the myriad enclaves contained within), there's also plenty of serious historical research and no shying away from the ugly side of borders. The brutal and long-lasting consequences of the divisions imposed on Africa and India are described, and in an age of endless controversy around borders Elledge's compassionate pragmatism is a balm. On the whole, this is an entertaining yet scholarly and thought-provoking slice of popular history, and a useful tool in understanding the world around us and why we're so fascinated and frustrated by the artificial lines which divide it.
This is the sort of book I found difficult to put down; informative, humourous, topical and crammed with enough trivia to make me even more insufferable than normal. It does exactly what it says on the cover, as well as offering deeper musings on our obsession with borders and how we are defined by them as much as we create them. Ranging from the earliest recorded borders in ancient Egypt all the way to current and future flashpoints (the chapters on Ukraine and Palestine are compelling and sensitively handled), Elledge offers a potted history of these boundaries, as well as how they're implemented and examples of problems they can cause. While many of the chapters are comedic (such as the twin villages of Baarle, split between Belgium and the Netherlands and an unlikely tourist attraction thanks to the myriad enclaves contained within), there's also plenty of serious historical research and no shying away from the ugly side of borders. The brutal and long-lasting consequences of the divisions imposed on Africa and India are described, and in an age of endless controversy around borders Elledge's compassionate pragmatism is a balm. On the whole, this is an entertaining yet scholarly and thought-provoking slice of popular history, and a useful tool in understanding the world around us and why we're so fascinated and frustrated by the artificial lines which divide it.
April 22, 2025
Prima graniță documentată istoric pare a fi cea dintre Egiptul de Jos și cel de Sus, cea care împărțea teritoriile străbătute de Nil în mileniul al IV î.Hr. Dar dincolo de asta, granițele au devenit atât importante la momentul conturării lor, cât și volatile la scară istorică. Totul se schimbă în timp și este aproape sigur că granițele actuale, unele deja conturate de mai mult de 100 de ani, se vor transforma și schimba peste un secol sau două. Vedem acest lucru după 2010, după anii în care Rusia a ocupat Crimeea și a declanșat un război în Ucraina căruia nu-i vedem nici sfârșitul și nici viitoarele granițe.
Jonn Elledge trece în revistă, cu multe informații documentare sau istorice, dar și cu mult umor, 47 de granițe din trecutul și prezentul nostru, construindu-și volumul pe trei părți importante: Istorii (o alegere cronologică a granițelor precum Marele Zid Chinezesc, împărțirea Ulsterului și a Indiei sau Zidul Berlinului), Moșteniri (granițele care încă mai influențează ziua de azi, precum exclava Kaliningrad, zona demilitarizată coreeană sau granița dintre Israel și Palestina) și Externalități (o sinteză a liniilor fictive de pe hărți, precum Meridianul zero sau granițele maritime, aeriene și cosmice).
Un volum de popularizare a științei, care împletește istoria, politica și geografia pentru a oferi o perspectivă detaliată și succintă, dar și amunzantă a celor mai controversate, discutate și ambigue granițe ale lumii. Foarte, foarte interesant.
Jonn Elledge trece în revistă, cu multe informații documentare sau istorice, dar și cu mult umor, 47 de granițe din trecutul și prezentul nostru, construindu-și volumul pe trei părți importante: Istorii (o alegere cronologică a granițelor precum Marele Zid Chinezesc, împărțirea Ulsterului și a Indiei sau Zidul Berlinului), Moșteniri (granițele care încă mai influențează ziua de azi, precum exclava Kaliningrad, zona demilitarizată coreeană sau granița dintre Israel și Palestina) și Externalități (o sinteză a liniilor fictive de pe hărți, precum Meridianul zero sau granițele maritime, aeriene și cosmice).
Un volum de popularizare a științei, care împletește istoria, politica și geografia pentru a oferi o perspectivă detaliată și succintă, dar și amunzantă a celor mai controversate, discutate și ambigue granițe ale lumii. Foarte, foarte interesant.
May 3, 2025
I enjoy humour in a non fiction book as it breaks up the facts. What I don’t enjoy, is the same humour being sprinkled amongst some of the most dark wars in history. It feels somewhat insensitive to me.
September 21, 2025
To start with, I think some of the scathing reviews of this are quite overblown. It’s clearly a *popular* history book, not an academic one, and so criticism of the prose (complaining about contractions? Really?) and not giving enough Serious Attention to Insert Horrible Subject Here feels harsh and wide of the mark.
No book that - as the title suggests - does shallow dives into nearly 50 different topics within 350 pages is ever going to devote a thorough examination to any one of them. If that’s what you’re (contraction!) after, the author helpfully adds his reading list for each chapter at the end of the book, to facilitate deeper dives from this jumping-off point. What this book does do is give a nice little taster of plenty of different topics - many of which I did not previously know about.
Where I think it *does* fall down is in losing sight of the bigger picture a bit towards the end. If your book title includes “a history of the world” then I feel there ought to be at least some attempt to collate the various learnings from the individual borders examined into what borders might mean for history and the future. Instead it just kind of stops. But hey, maybe that’s me also falling down the rabbit hole of expecting it to be too academic….
No book that - as the title suggests - does shallow dives into nearly 50 different topics within 350 pages is ever going to devote a thorough examination to any one of them. If that’s what you’re (contraction!) after, the author helpfully adds his reading list for each chapter at the end of the book, to facilitate deeper dives from this jumping-off point. What this book does do is give a nice little taster of plenty of different topics - many of which I did not previously know about.
Where I think it *does* fall down is in losing sight of the bigger picture a bit towards the end. If your book title includes “a history of the world” then I feel there ought to be at least some attempt to collate the various learnings from the individual borders examined into what borders might mean for history and the future. Instead it just kind of stops. But hey, maybe that’s me also falling down the rabbit hole of expecting it to be too academic….
June 23, 2025
When I picked up this book, I was both curious and excited to unearth the swathes of knowledge hidden within its pages. I thought it would be highly educational and a whimsical joy-ride across the history of our world. It appears that, unfortunately, I was only right about ONE of those things: It was so much fun to read. I did, however, struggle to find it educational as I found it to be all over the place, leaping from one part of the world to the next, hopping thousands of years in the past to the modern day within a few sentences. Understandably, I found it quite difficult.
There were many chapters I enjoyed and found quite interesting: for instance, I never knew Washington DC and Washington the state were two separate entities, that DC wasn’t actually a state and actually stood for “District of Columbia”. I do think it’s best read by selective chapters, not as an in-depth read of its entirety.
Would I read it again? As a whole read through of the book, probably not. As chapters I enjoyed? Absolutely.
There were many chapters I enjoyed and found quite interesting: for instance, I never knew Washington DC and Washington the state were two separate entities, that DC wasn’t actually a state and actually stood for “District of Columbia”. I do think it’s best read by selective chapters, not as an in-depth read of its entirety.
Would I read it again? As a whole read through of the book, probably not. As chapters I enjoyed? Absolutely.
August 4, 2025
This book was a pleasant surprise, in that I enjoyed reading it more than I expected to. While the author openly admits in the introduction that the book is neither a history of the world, nor covers 47 borders, overall this was a witty and easily readable book.
While at times I did find the tone to be overly conversational and glib - occasionally to the extent that serious historical context almost felt belittled - overall the humour worked well in creating a book which you want to keep reading. The short, sharp chapters make for quite the page turner, and although the history at times was very simplified, overall the key themes come across well.
Maybe it isn’t on the level of Tim Marshall’s magisterial ‘Geographies’ series, but it doesn’t claim to be, nor does it take itself too seriously, and that works in its favour.
While at times I did find the tone to be overly conversational and glib - occasionally to the extent that serious historical context almost felt belittled - overall the humour worked well in creating a book which you want to keep reading. The short, sharp chapters make for quite the page turner, and although the history at times was very simplified, overall the key themes come across well.
Maybe it isn’t on the level of Tim Marshall’s magisterial ‘Geographies’ series, but it doesn’t claim to be, nor does it take itself too seriously, and that works in its favour.
July 12, 2025
This was great. Just the right amount of humour in some otherwise dry topics to make it an insightful look into how the world and its people perceive borders and the underappreciated impact it has on our lives. If I see more of this Elledge fellow I'll probably get it
August 8, 2025
Very very good. Each chapter on a different region in the world and you learn so much.
August 29, 2025
I think a book about 47 borders should show more than like 10 of those borders.
May 22, 2025
Grappig en vol met fun facts. En tussendoor ook nog wat nieuwe dingen geleerd. Niet zo pretentieus en daarom goed leesbaar. Extra genoten van de voetnoten.
July 16, 2025
Silly borders, silly read. Main highlight: called the space race a dickswinging competition.
July 19, 2025
Like a good BBC programme, it informed, educated and entertained in equal measure.
September 27, 2025
Enjoyed the bite size summaries of interesting borders, pitched just right in terms of detail and jocular, sarcasm-laden delivery. Only downside for me was the slightly breathy delivery by the author
August 13, 2025
[18 Jul 2025] An enjoyable, interesting and informative read. It is well written and each relatively short chapter covers an unusual, not well known, border or boundary. It is written in a modern chatty style, which is on the whole acceptable, but occasionally grates. For instance, when you read about a Roman Emperor or a Hapsburg King 'shagging around' or a threat from 'some bloke' it pales. Jonn Elledge is a journalist who made his career working for left-leaning publications, the New Statesmen and The Guardian, etc you are aware that his left-leaning politics do surface through his writing on a regular basis. It is quite clear that he believes Brexit was the cause of multiple problems such as in Northern Ireland or the boat crossings at Dover. He generally struggles to hide his contempt for borders as a concept and seems unable to accept their importance to cultural and ethnic identity and are perfectly acceptable and cherish-able to millions. He is consistently negative about Britain, seldom as a positive thing to say about British history.
Two errors stick in mind - Queen Victoria was not the Queen of England, but of the United Kingdom and his offensive diatribe about Cornwall and the Cornish being pedants, the Cornish language as fading, and Cornwall being obscure and hence unimportant was ignorant, verging on racist.
Nonetheless a generally enjoyable book, but the style won't suit many people who are attracted to the subject matter.
Two errors stick in mind - Queen Victoria was not the Queen of England, but of the United Kingdom and his offensive diatribe about Cornwall and the Cornish being pedants, the Cornish language as fading, and Cornwall being obscure and hence unimportant was ignorant, verging on racist.
Nonetheless a generally enjoyable book, but the style won't suit many people who are attracted to the subject matter.
September 19, 2024
This is, as I'd hoped, a book you can dip in and out of, with some interesting places and stories to discover - like the weird town of Baarle, a complicated series of Belgian enclaves in the Netherlands, or the strange slice of territory between Egypt and Sudan that nobody claims. Chapters are short and easy reads, so OK as a gap-filler in your reading diet. But, like many 'snackable' things, I found it a little unsatisfying. The author attempts a light, semi-comic tone, which often tips over into the irritating. The book is thematically a bit all over the place. Sometimes he gets interested in relating chunks of history and loses the thread of a clear connection to borders. Most of all, though, I was looking forward to a book full of fascinating and beautiful maps that linked smartly into the text - at least 47 of them. In fact, the maps are comparatively sparse (one every few chapters) and mostly quite humdrum in their presentation - so not, as I had thought it might be, one of those books you just love to have on your shelves. I'd say by all means pick up a second-hand copy sometime and nibble at it when you're in the mood.
August 18, 2024
There are some really interesting facts and pieces of history, but there's quite a few chapters that don't actually contain a map where one would be really useful, particularly the chapters on Baarle or the Down Survey. The conversational writing style in this was just too jaunty for me, but the author does use it to good effect when providing simple explanations. Overall a good introduction if you aren't familiar with any of these topics, but chances are you'll find yourself consulting an atlas or Wikipedia for a decent map.
August 16, 2025
trying to summarize 47 very complicated historical topics in 300 pages is just not a good idea, there’s a lot of nuance and details that are ignored just to write a couple of summary paragraphs for each conflict or border.
I’m also not sure the author is even correct about some summaries, or for example why he’s downplaying the significance of some treaties like Sykes-Picot.
I’m also not sure the author is even correct about some summaries, or for example why he’s downplaying the significance of some treaties like Sykes-Picot.
November 30, 2024
Glib, superficial, no sources. Looked up the author: he's a journalist of course. Not recommended.
August 31, 2025
Is it a publisher's thing to demand from authors to reach the 330-350 pages mark? This book, again like many books, goes for way too long. You get the general idea of what the concept is. That borders shift, that they are actually fictional stuff that people put a lot of emphasis on, that they will continue to change until the end of times. Yes, the stories are interesting but 47 borders are way too much.
Some of the important events weren't even in there. Like the borderland between Persia and Rome that kept the two empires fighting for more than hundreds of years. Or how Calais was British for a long time. The Moroccan and Western Sahara thing. But I understand you need to scope manageable.
The book is fine and I learnt a couple of things from it, I really did. But there is one annoying thing about the book, is the amount of smug jokes that were placed in there. Especially in the footnotes. Every time I saw a symbol for a footnote I was expecting something important to give the nuances of the claims. Yes, some more elaboration was there but it almost always ended with a smug or "witty" joke. Stop that, bro.
Moreover, I'm a fan of citing your sources with claims or facts stated. I know it's a lot of work but gives more credit to your work and I sometimes wanted to know which exact sources was this or that claims from but there are no sources in the text. Just at the end of the book some sources for the different chapters. Lazy ass.
All in all, interesting book. Lets you think. But way too long and too many jokes.
Some of the important events weren't even in there. Like the borderland between Persia and Rome that kept the two empires fighting for more than hundreds of years. Or how Calais was British for a long time. The Moroccan and Western Sahara thing. But I understand you need to scope manageable.
The book is fine and I learnt a couple of things from it, I really did. But there is one annoying thing about the book, is the amount of smug jokes that were placed in there. Especially in the footnotes. Every time I saw a symbol for a footnote I was expecting something important to give the nuances of the claims. Yes, some more elaboration was there but it almost always ended with a smug or "witty" joke. Stop that, bro.
Moreover, I'm a fan of citing your sources with claims or facts stated. I know it's a lot of work but gives more credit to your work and I sometimes wanted to know which exact sources was this or that claims from but there are no sources in the text. Just at the end of the book some sources for the different chapters. Lazy ass.
All in all, interesting book. Lets you think. But way too long and too many jokes.
September 11, 2025
3.5 stars
As the title says, it is a history book. The author describes a number of man-made borders throughout human history and geography and discusses their political and cultural ramifications. From ancient Egypt to modern Antarctica, people established borders between 'us' and 'them' at all times and in all places. And according to Elledge, the most profound impact of the borders on humanity was the endless bloodshed.
Another serious consequence of the borders was the rise of nations and, after a while, countries with their national identities. Inevitably, borders and map-making became interconnected. Elledge also explores the links between borders, maps, and imperialism. How humongous white-man empires, starting from the 15th century Spain, divided the continents of Asia, Africa, and America into spheres of influence. Those imperial map-makers drew the lines on the maps without ever setting foot in the places they claimed. Nobody consulted the local population either. Of course, more bloodshed ensued, centuries of it, alas.
To my relief, not everything was tragic in the history of borders. Elledge dedicates some chapters to humorous stories and anecdotes related to maps and borders. Sadly, there were too few of them, but the author's generally irreverent tone and his air of faint mockery save this book from being too grim.
Overall: a fascinating and eye-opening look into one significant aspect of human history.
As the title says, it is a history book. The author describes a number of man-made borders throughout human history and geography and discusses their political and cultural ramifications. From ancient Egypt to modern Antarctica, people established borders between 'us' and 'them' at all times and in all places. And according to Elledge, the most profound impact of the borders on humanity was the endless bloodshed.
Another serious consequence of the borders was the rise of nations and, after a while, countries with their national identities. Inevitably, borders and map-making became interconnected. Elledge also explores the links between borders, maps, and imperialism. How humongous white-man empires, starting from the 15th century Spain, divided the continents of Asia, Africa, and America into spheres of influence. Those imperial map-makers drew the lines on the maps without ever setting foot in the places they claimed. Nobody consulted the local population either. Of course, more bloodshed ensued, centuries of it, alas.
To my relief, not everything was tragic in the history of borders. Elledge dedicates some chapters to humorous stories and anecdotes related to maps and borders. Sadly, there were too few of them, but the author's generally irreverent tone and his air of faint mockery save this book from being too grim.
Overall: a fascinating and eye-opening look into one significant aspect of human history.
November 15, 2024
4 stars.
A speed run through world history, as is to be expected when there are 47 chapters (perhaps a reason this format of book is like 7 or 12 chapters). Definitely a bit surface and elided over a lot (you could tell he struggled to write the chapters about things like The Troubles and Gaza), but it was a good read nonetheless.
Lots of very very interesting things here — particularly the chapters about different enclaves: where part of a country is separated from the main body and stuck in another country (there’s a town in Netherlands/Belgium where there are 20some separate enclaves all jumbled together). Less fun, but the chapters about colonialists drawing straight lines on maps of places they’ve never been were also quite interesting.
The tone was almost always pitch perfect. I am usually so annoyed by comedic asides in nonfiction, but they really worked here. Perhaps because they tended to still provide actual information, or perhaps just because the humor aligned with mine more.
A very interesting thesis, under it all. Basically pointing out how variable and often arbitrary borders are. How they are constantly shifting, and even the borders we think of as Permanent and Obvious were put there by some guy, likely not too long ago.
A speed run through world history, as is to be expected when there are 47 chapters (perhaps a reason this format of book is like 7 or 12 chapters). Definitely a bit surface and elided over a lot (you could tell he struggled to write the chapters about things like The Troubles and Gaza), but it was a good read nonetheless.
Lots of very very interesting things here — particularly the chapters about different enclaves: where part of a country is separated from the main body and stuck in another country (there’s a town in Netherlands/Belgium where there are 20some separate enclaves all jumbled together). Less fun, but the chapters about colonialists drawing straight lines on maps of places they’ve never been were also quite interesting.
The tone was almost always pitch perfect. I am usually so annoyed by comedic asides in nonfiction, but they really worked here. Perhaps because they tended to still provide actual information, or perhaps just because the humor aligned with mine more.
A very interesting thesis, under it all. Basically pointing out how variable and often arbitrary borders are. How they are constantly shifting, and even the borders we think of as Permanent and Obvious were put there by some guy, likely not too long ago.
October 13, 2024
This is the first book of John Elledge that i have read. The cover caught my eye as i strolled through easons. Having read a couple of books on irish history , I was eager to get a bit more insight into affairs of the greater world .
The history in the book is handpicked to pique interest, from borders like the torsedillas treaty splitting the world into Portugals and Spains which have major significance even to this day , to more quirky borders that are done based on errors and unthought out decrees.
Elledge takes us on a journey through time from very early history to eventually climaxing with borders throughout the sea and space. He is showing human history , rivalries and the need for space through the ages by the medium of easy to read prose sprinkled with his dry down to earth humour .
Would recomend for leisure reading and as a starting point for anyone interested in the various chapters throughout.
The history in the book is handpicked to pique interest, from borders like the torsedillas treaty splitting the world into Portugals and Spains which have major significance even to this day , to more quirky borders that are done based on errors and unthought out decrees.
Elledge takes us on a journey through time from very early history to eventually climaxing with borders throughout the sea and space. He is showing human history , rivalries and the need for space through the ages by the medium of easy to read prose sprinkled with his dry down to earth humour .
Would recomend for leisure reading and as a starting point for anyone interested in the various chapters throughout.
June 22, 2025
3.5 stars. Surprising stories about why, how, when, and who created many of the world’s borders. I generally liked the book.
The stories in this book had some crossover with a few Tim Marshall books I’ve read, but this had more humor. Sometimes, the humor was a little off-putting because of the subject matter, but good overall.
Near the end, a couple of chapters were not interesting at all (Eurovision and Boundaries in the Air). He kind of lost me a couple of times in stories taking place in the medieval era, though that’s not so much his fault as it is Kings who shared the same name in different kingdoms, albeit with a I or II next to their name.
The stories in this book had some crossover with a few Tim Marshall books I’ve read, but this had more humor. Sometimes, the humor was a little off-putting because of the subject matter, but good overall.
Near the end, a couple of chapters were not interesting at all (Eurovision and Boundaries in the Air). He kind of lost me a couple of times in stories taking place in the medieval era, though that’s not so much his fault as it is Kings who shared the same name in different kingdoms, albeit with a I or II next to their name.
June 20, 2025
Quite a fun and witty book with interesting facts and discussion. This isn't a "hard" read as I assumed it was. Instead, it's a fun informative book aimed more at entertaining than informing. That doesn't mean there weren't facts or points of view I hadn't known or considered before though. I really enjoyed Elledge's broad use of the term "border" which allowed for discussion on topics like space, Antarctica and other interesting topics usually not covered in such a book. You aren't going to come away from this read with a brand new perspective on global politics or a really deep understanding of a particular region or border. But that isn't the aim of the book, and while it may not be a challenging read I still found it thought-provoking in certain chapters.
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