The Landscape of Power: Geography and the Rise and Fall of Nations

The world is a battleground again. The great-power peace that followed the Cold War is over: Russia violently menaces its neighbors; China pushes for supremacy on land and sea; America’s global leadership is in question; the laws of a prosperous, civilized world have come under ruthless assault. Navigating this moment requires grasping the strategic power of geography, one of the harshest, least forgiving forces in global affairs.

The Landscape of Power analyzes how geography shapes the habits and histories of countries everywhere. Even in an age of rapid technological change and international upheaval, it remains indispensable in understanding the deeper patterns of geopolitics. A geographical mindset helps explain why Ukraine has so often been victimized by conquerors, or why Taiwan—a modest island off the coast of a giant continent—is the most dangerous spot on Earth. It illuminates why the Middle East has such a tortured history, and why oceanic chokepoints—from the Strait of Hormuz to the Strait of Malacca—are so crucial and so hotly contested.

Historian Hal Brands carries readers across the tumultuous global landscape, showing how geography has long informed patterns of international conflict—and how it influences the rivalries, alliances, and struggles that shape our world today. He demonstrates how the behavior of so many states—whether an aggressive Russia, an expanding China, or an ambivalent America—is still rooted in stubborn physical facts. The Landscape of Power revives a geographical way of thinking—and offers a guide to navigating the trying times ahead.