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Articles by Tim Marshall
Camp Gagnon - Samurai, WWII & What the West Gets Wrong About Japan | Joshua Walker
Dr. Walker, thank you for joining me. Thanks for having me back. Of course, of course. I'm very excited to chat with you. You have a brand new book that I just read all of that I read the entire thing, despite it being written solely in Japanese. I'm very impressed by that. Yeah, but I figured it would be better to have you in here to maybe explain some of the key details. So we have spoken once before, and it was fantastic. The audience loved it.
Iran’s most powerful weapon is not a drone, missile or mine
A cargo ship navigates the Persian Gulf, with an IRGC speedboat in the foreground - Getty The sands of Iraq and mountains of Afghanistan reminded the US military that geography played a decisive role in conflict. The waters off Iran are doing the same. Iran’s Trump card? The Strait of Hormuz. And Tehran has played it, effectively closing the waterway that allows oil and gas suppliers to meet 20 per cent of the world’s energy needs.
Iran’s most powerful weapon is not a drone, missile or mine
The sands of Iraq and mountains of Afghanistan reminded the US military that geography played a decisive role in conflict. The waters off Iran are doing the same. Iran’s Trump card? The Strait of Hormuz. And Tehran has played it, effectively closing the waterway that allows oil and gas suppliers to meet 20 per cent of the world’s energy needs. Attacking shipping in the strait may be illegal, but the Iranians have long warned they would do it.
10-YEAR ANNIVERSARY EDITION OF TIM MARSHALL’S MULTI-MILLION BESTSELLER, PRISONERS OF GEOGRAPHY OUT THIS SPRING!
January 23, 2025 Elliott & Thompson are thrilled to announce that on 10th April 2025, they will publish a fully updated, 10-year anniversary edition of Tim Marshall’s runaway bestseller Prisoners of Geography: Ten maps that tell you everything you need to know about global politics. Originally published in 2015, this new edition has been updated with over 30,000 words of new content to reflect how the global geopolitical landscape has changed.
First Turkiye, next India? The curious process of changing the name of a country
What’s in a name? Well, as it’s Christmas, let’s talk Turkey – or rather, Turkiye. Last year the United Nations agreed to President Erdogan’s request that his country be known as Turkiye. Aside from in official documents, it hasn’t much caught on – but from Erdogan’s perspective, he’s pushed the Turkish language name into international institutions, thus burnishing his nationalist credentials at home. In fact, the country hasn’t actually changed its name.
Tim Marshall on the New International Space Race and the Future of Geopolitics | Waterstones.com Blog | Waterstones
There’s a glorious moment in the film Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me when a deranged American president is looking for ways to combat Dr Evil. ‘Are you suggesting we blow up the Moon?’ asks his senior general. The response: ‘Would you miss it?’ We would. It’s as much a part of our lives as our cities and towns, our mountains and valleys, and our deserts and seas.
Inclusion can fill new studio jobs
In South Bucks alone, more than 20,000 jobs will be created in the next two years by new studios. The session explored the idea that the industry should not be “doing” diversity, but rather focusing on developing an inclusive environment in which all talent can flourish. Only by casting the net more widely to discover where this talent is will film and TV start to meet such ambitious employment targets.
The Future of Geography by Tim Marshall
Spy satellites orbiting the moon. Space metals worth more than most countries' GDP. People on Mars within the next ten years. This isn't science fiction. It's astropolitics. Humans are heading up and out, and we're taking our power struggles with us. Soon, what happens in space will shape human history as much the mountains, rivers and seas have on Earth. It's no coincidence that Russia, China and the USA are leading the way. The next fifty years will change the face of global politics.
The next world war is going to be in space - and the Moon is the greatest prize
One day there may be a pub on the Moon called The Hammer and Feather on the spot where Apollo 15 astronaut David Scott dropped both objects onto the lunar surface. It was a tribute to Galileo’s famous, if apocryphal, experiments from the Leaning Tower of Pisa in the 16th century to demonstrate that objects fall at the same rate of acceleration independent of their mass.
Putin's new Iron Curtain — will democracies stand up to authoritarian states?
A new Iron Curtain has come down across Europe and beyond. It delineates not democracy and communism as in the previous century, but democracy and the authoritarian states. 24 February 2022 marks the day when the lies of apologists for Putin in the West are laid bare, and when the naivete of those who believe he can be reasoned with comes into contact with his reality. The challenge for the NATO countries now is to stand together or fall apart. At time of writing Putin’s intentions are unclear.
Putin needs 'General Frost' on his side to win in Ukraine
Russia’s ‘General Frost’ is back on the front line, but this time he is hoping to be on the offensive. In 1812, the brutally cold Russian winter helped defend Moscow and defeat Napoleon’s army. In December of that year the term ‘General Frost’ first appeared in a satirical British cartoon captioned ‘General Frost shaving little Boney’. The General is naked to the waist, has the legs of a bear and his feet are crushing French soldiers into the snow.
What Putin’s Russia fears most of all
When Vladimir Putin called the collapse of the Soviet Union ‘a major geopolitical disaster of the century’ he wasn’t channelling his inner Marxist-Leninist. Russia’s leader is not interested in remaking the Soviet empire, which finally fell apart 30 years ago today, on Boxing Day 1991. But he does want to roll back the losses of the post Cold War era, expand Russia’s sphere of influence, and build a buffer zone around the homeland.
Cloud Atlas - Air Mail
It wasn’t meant to be like this. The end of the Cold War was supposed to usher in an era of peace and prosperity, liberalism had beaten tyranny and the shadows thrown by the two World Wars would disappear in the radiant sunlight of liberal democracy. Instead, there’s a darkness as authoritarianism again stalks parts of the globe challenging the idea that liberal democracy is the best method to govern complex societies.
To Grasp Geopolitical Transformations, Don't Forget to Look at the Map
Tim Marshall is the author of THE POWER OF GEOGRAPHY: Ten Maps That Reveal the Future of Our World, on sale now from Scribner. Marshall is a leading authority on foreign affairs with more than 30 years of reporting experience. He was diplomatic editor at Sky News, and before that was working for the BBC and LBC/IRN radio. Type “Map of the world” into a search engine. Click images, then hit return. Most results will have Europe slap-bang in the center—they’re out of date.
How Does Britain Maintain Relevance in a Changing World?
Britain’s instinct post-2016 has been to look to the United States. Given America’s continuing political and economic power, this makes sense; but there are now differences to the 20th-century rationales for doing so. In the Cold War, it wasn’t just politically unacceptable to do major trade deals with Russia, it was of limited economic value. But this is not the case with 21st-century China, which, along with the EU and the US, is one of the three modern entities with massive purchasing power.
Midnight's Borders
A People's History of Modern India Narrated by: Sunny Patel Length: 8 hrs and 5 mins 4.3 out of 5 stars 4.3 (4 ratings) 1 title per month from Audible’s entire catalog of best sellers, and new releases. Access a growing selection of included Audible Originals, audiobooks and podcasts. You will get an email reminder before your trial ends. Your Premium Plus plan is $14.95 a month after 30 day trial. Cancel anytime.
Good COP, Bad COP: China, India and the prospect of success at COP26
The importance of COP26, taking place in Glasgow at the start of November, is hard to overstate. Tim Marshall explores the make or break geopolitical forces underlying the biggest climate conference since the Paris Agreement Good COP/bad COP? Maybe both. The Queen is going to Glasgow. That’s good – she’s always a crowd puller. But at the time of writing, China, India and South Africa have yet to commit to sending their heads of government – and that’s bad.
Geopolitical hotspot: Escaping Afghanistan
Tim Marshall is a journalist, broadcaster and author of Prisoners of Geography and Divided: Why We’re Living in an Age of Walls. Here, he shares his take on the routes refugees may take to flee the Taliban in Afghanistan It’s difficult getting away from Afghanistan, especially if you’re one of the thousands of Afghans trying to escape. Depending on the direction you take, in front of you lie snow-covered mountains, deserts and arid scrubland.
Geopolitical Hotspot: China is expanding its nuclear arsenal, says Tim Marshall
Tim Marshall is a journalist, broadcaster and author of Prisoners of Geography and Divided: Why We’re Living in an Age of Walls Enter the Dragon. With nukes. China is hugely expanding its nuclear weapons arsenal and appears to be changing its defence posture from only retaliating after absorbing a first strike to ‘launch on warning’ if it believes it is being attacked. It means the nuclear arms race now has Chinese characteristics and the world will be a more dangerous place.
Geopolitical hotspot: China and Taiwan
Tim Marshall is a journalist, broadcaster and author of Prisoners of Geography and Divided: Why We’re Living in an Age of Walls This year many foreign affairs analysts have asked the question: ‘Is China about to invade Taiwan?’ General Sun Tzu probably had the answer about 2,500 years ago - ‘The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting’.
Geopolitical hotspot: the G7
Talking shop? Diplomatic beauty contest? Or, deep breath, a forum ‘to unite leading democracies to help the world fight and then build back better from coronavirus and create a greener, more prosperous future’ as the UK government’s G7 website puts it? You can make the case for each definition; you can also argue that the G7 is a combination of all three.
Tim Marshall on Why Geography Matters in Modern Politics
Following on from the acclaimed bestseller Prisoners of Geography, Tim Marshall's latest book, The Power of Geography, examines another ten countries of geopolitical interest; this time in terms of the import they hold for the future. In this exclusive piece, Marshall emphasises how crucial geography is to an understanding of global politics - and how surprising it is that this fact often gets ignored.
Vaccine diplomacy: Tim Marshall's take on the geopolitics of the vaccine drive
Tim Marshall, British journalist, author and broadcaster, shares his thoughts on the geopolitics of the current global vaccination drive From Russia with love? Perhaps it doesn’t matter. Offered with love or not, Covid vaccinations that most Western countries have been unable, or unwilling, to deliver are still reaching people in developing countries. Russian and Chinese motives for distributing, and sometimes donating, millions of doses of their vaccines around the globe aren’t benign.
Yugoslavia and the ghosts of nationalism
The 1990s, we were told, would be the era in which transnationalism would triumph over nationalism. No-one would pursue empire and the shadows thrown by the two world wars would disappear in the radiant sunlight of liberal democracy. Instead, the ghosts of ultranationalism were awakened and roamed the darkness of the Balkans, when a successful transnational experiment – Yugoslavia – was violently pulled apart.
Geopolitical hotspot: Joe Biden’s foreign policy
The Blob is back! Whether this is a good thing or a bad thing remains to be seen. Stay connected with the Geographical newsletter! In these turbulent times, we’re committed to telling expansive stories from across the globe, highlighting the everyday lives of normal but extraordinary people. Stay informed and engaged with Geographical.
The Future of Geography: How the Competition in Space Will Change Our World
The Future of Geography: How the Competition in Space Will Change Our World Geopolitical analyst Marshall (The Power of Geography) turns his focus to the final frontier in this concise look at space and the emerging “era of astropolitics.” Sketching the history of human dealings with space from prehistoric lunar calendars to the launch of Sputnik, Marshall lays the groundwork for his view that “space is going to be a geopolitical narrative of the twenty-first century.” Marshall demonstrates...
Geopolitical hotspot: the race to dominate renewables
The switch to renewables is likely to be as geopolitically transformative as the switch from coal to oil and gas. Tim Marshall lays out the plausible geopolitical scenarios as countries rally for renewable dominance Maps have always helped us know where we are; some tell us where we are going. Among new ones being drawn are those that project our future. They include maps of the world’s potential solar, wind and water energy supplies.
Geopolitical hostspot: Belarus
Tim Marshall examines the backdrop to current geopolitical struggles in Belarus When military strategists in London, Moscow, Warsaw, Washington and elsewhere look at the political chaos in Belarus they could be forgiven for thinking,‘Mind the gap’. In this case, the Suwalki Gap. They’ll also have a gate on their minds: the Smolensk Gate.
Geopolitical hotspot: Nagorno-Karabakh
This week Tim Marshall turns his geopolitical lens to an unfurling conflict with long roots The dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh brings to mind Neville Chamberlain’s quote in 1938 about the Sudetenland: ‘A quarrel in a far away country, between people of whom we know nothing.’ For most of us, that’s the case with Nagorno-Karabakh, an ethnically Armenian/Christian region situated inside Muslim-dominated Azerbaijan.
Geopolitical Hotspot: Xinjiang and the Uighur Internment Camps
From 2014, reports began to emerge of mass internment of the Uighur people in China's Xinjiang province. Tim Marshall explores the geographical, cultural and political context of the internment camps East Turkistan’ has a nice ring to it, conjuring up images of the old Silk Road perhaps, redolent of the Central Asian Republics. It’s certainly more evocative than ‘New Territory’ which is what the Chinese state named what we now know as Xinjiang.
Geopolitical hotspot: trouble in the eastern Mediterranean
The creation of an Exclusive Economic Zone stretching from Turkey's southwest coast down to the northern tip of Libya has bubbled old and new conflicts in the Eastern Mediterranean. Tim Marshall investigates the recent developments underpinning rising tensions in the region Summer in the eastern Med? Sounds lovely, but this year it may be a little too hot for comfort.
Who will lead the post-Covid world?
This year’s G7 is already proving problematic. It’s not only that we don’t know when or where it’s going to take place; the guest list is also in question. President Trump wants to shake it up: “it’s a very outdated group of countries… I don’t feel that it properly represents what’s going on in the world.” He’s a little bit right. And so he proposed to invite Russia, India, South Korea and Australia too — as “guests”.
The race to dominate renewables
The switch to renewables is likely to be as geopolitically transformative as the switch from coal to oil and gas. Tim Marshall lays out the plausible geopolitical scenarios as countries rally for renewable dominance Maps have always helped us know where we are; some tell us where we are going. Among new ones being drawn are those that project our future. They include maps of the world’s potential solar, wind and water energy supplies.
After Covid - The Reckoning.
Posted By: Tim Marshall 27th March 2020 Europe is the epicentre of Covid-19 – how did we get here? Answer – fairly quickly which is no surprise in the age of globalization. The first European cases were identified in late January. For example, in France on January 24th, Germany the 27th, and on the 31st the UK, Spain and Italy. In all, there was a connection to either Chinese tourists visiting those countries, or local people returning home from China from where the virus originates.
Coronavirus: Key Employment Legal Issues For Multinational Employers
To print this article, all you need is to be registered or login on Mondaq.com. As the number of novel coronavirus cases exceeds the 40,000 mark, and with the World Health Organisation (WHO) having declared the virus as a "public health emergency of international concern", employers the world over are putting in place plans to prepare for the risk of an employee becoming exposed to or ill with the virus.
Prisoners of Geography
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Tim Marshall - The What and The Why
Posted By: Tim Marshall 5th September 2019 After almost a year of talks, we’re told the deal for a lasting peace in Afghanistan is agreed -‘ In principle’. A deal? Maybe. A lasting peace? That’s not necessarily the same thing. Parts of the Taliban are indeed talking with the U.S. about the withdrawal of its (and NATO) forces, and are poised to accept a gradual pull out. They are in a position of strength.
Kosovo: 20 Years On
Twenty years on since 50,000 NATO troops entered Kosovo the region is still a potential powder keg. This week marks two decades since the end of the 78-day aerial bombing campaign which forced the Serbian army out of the province after NATO sided with the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA). The former U.S. President Bill Clinton was at the celebrations in Pristina the capital of what is now recognized as an independent state by more than 100 countries including the UK.
Tim Marshall - The What and The Why
Iran and the USA – two hawks making aggressive signals to achieve aims – while saying they don’t want war… what could possibly go wrong? The Americans have moved the Aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln to the Gulf along with other ‘assets. It was going there anyway – what’s significant is the fanfare with which National Security Advisor John Bolton announced it.
Ten Maps That Tell You Everything You Need To Know About Global Politics eBook: Tim Marshall: Amazon.com.au: Kindle Store
This book provides an interesting overview of geopolitics, and how the geography of nations (rivers, mountains, access to oceans, climate, nearness to the equator, etc.) affects borders, trade, who they will work with and war with, and what their future goals for expansion or defence might be. While it stops (just) short of geographic determinism, it does make it clear that in the context of geography there are far fewer happy options than a cursory look at a map would suggest.
Assad - In From The Cold
The Syrian Civil War is just about over – and the proxy war of outside powers is in full swing – this will be fought with guns and diplomacy – as the re-opening of the UAEs embassy in Damascus shows. There’s an Arab phrase – ‘If a Wind Blows – Ride it!’ It’s been clear for more than a year that President Assad wasn’t going to lose his war – the re-opening of the embassy, after 6 long years, shows that the Arab states will now seek to ride that wind, and use it their advantage.
Wanted: Brave British Politician
Wanted: Brave British politician. Experience: Must be a dyed-in-the-wool Brexiteer, preferably a senior member of Theresa May’s cabinet. Duties: The person chosen for this demanding and vital role must be willing and able to swallow their pride, admit their error and put the interests of their country before self and party. They must be able to withstand abuse from former colleagues and friends; even death threats from the public.
2019: The Year Ahead.
New year – New Events – but new policies? Not so much. Statecraft doesn’t start from scratch on Jan 1st, but it’s useful to look ahead to the trends likely to play out. It’s important to always keep in mind that in geo-politics – everything is connected. If you look at Russia’s involvement in Syria in isolation, or in terms of only what it is doing there, you miss some of the forces driving it to act in the region.
Christmas in Syria.
By Dr David Nott and Hamish de Bretton-Gorden OBE. The fragile truce in Syria’s Idlib province looks as if may be severely tested over the next few weeks. President Assad is on record as saying he intends to take back ‘every inch’ of territory lost in the 7 year long war, and rebel groups have vowed to defend what little ground they still hold. We fear an outbreak of fighting will once again result in the innocent being caught in the cross fire.
Sightline with Tim Marshall: What next for Brexit?
Prime Minister Theresa May has agreed a Brexit deal with the EU, but the UK parliament still has to have a say. On December 11, after five days of debate, it decides. If a majority backs the deal, the UK will leave the EU on May 29, 2019, but Mrs May needs 320 votes and most analysts say she’s way off. Tim Marshall from The National's London bureau explains some of the No vote scenarios Theresa May and her party will face.
Tim Marshall - The What and The Why
Welcome to the late late show! Coming from the Black Hole which is Brexit and the British Parliament. Prime Minister Theresa May has agreed a Brexit deal with the EU – but parliament hasn’t. So, on December 11th, after five days of debate, it decides. If a majority backs the deal – we know where we are. But Mrs May needs 320 votes, there are dozens of rebels in her own party, and most analysts say – she’s way off. So… let’s look at (some of) the No vote scenarios.
The G Force Is With U.S.
The Great, but not always Good, of the G20 are once again gathered in stately conclave – this year in Buenos Aires. Does it matter? Yes. Between them the participants represent about 75% of global international trade. It matters because of what it is they will disagree about, as well as what they agree on.
Macron: Running On Empty?
There’s a vacancy for the job of ‘Leader of the Free World’. The French President, Emmanuelle Macron, wants to fill it. The problem? Events, home and abroad, are leading elsewhere. The picture at home is far from pretty. Last Saturday 300,000 people demonstrated in 2,000 locations after the price of diesel increased by 23% over the past year. Most vehicles in France use diesel. 400 people were injured and one person died in the ‘Yellow Vests’ protests named after the jackets worn by protest organisers.
Bolsonaro, Brazil, and the Big Blue Tide
We knew South America’s left-wing ‘Pink Tide’ was in retreat, but the election of Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil is the highest watermark so far for the still incoming right-wing ‘Blue Tide.’ President Elect Bolsonaro takes office on January 1st. This businessman, son of an army officer, openly pines for the bygone days of military dictatorship. His speeches are often condemned for being racist, misogynistic, and homophobic.
Sightline with Tim Marshall: Brazil's Bolsonaro and the rise of far right
Is Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil's president-elect, the most right-wing leader elected this century? The National's Tim Marshall examines this question as South America's left-wing 'Pink Tide' seems to be in a retreat. Mr Bolsonaro, who was elected with almost 58 million votes, likes to compare himself to Donald Trump. But how different or similar is he to President Trump?
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