Buy used:
$2.31
$3.98 delivery May 20 - 21. Details
Used: Very Good | Details
Sold by glenthebookseller
Condition: Used: Very Good
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Klaus Dodds
+ Follow
More books from this author
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Geopolitics: A Very Short Introduction First Edition

by Klaus Dodds (Author)
3.8 3.8 out of 5 stars 26 ratings
See all formats and editions

There is a newer edition of this item:

Geopolitics: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)
Geopolitics: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)
$12.49
(144)
In Stock
In places such as Iraq or Lebanon, moving a few feet on either side of a territorial boundary can be a matter of life or death, dramatically highlighting the connections between geography and politics. This Very Short Introduction illuminates the concept of geopolitics, revealing how a country's location and size as well as its sovereignty and resources all affect how its people understand and interact with the wider world. Using wide-ranging examples, from historical maps to James Bond films and the rhetoric of political leaders like Churchill and George W. Bush, Klaus Dodds describes how people and places are inter-connected with each other, and how our geopolitical outlook molds our understanding of the world. He shows why it is vital that we understand how and why we divide the world into zones and territories--and how these divisions depend on your perspective. The book explains how terrorism, globalization, environmental degradation, and new technologies such as the internet are all challenging the geographical basis of global politics, and it sheds light on the history of terms such as "the iron curtain," "the third world," and "the axis of evil."

About the Series: Oxford's Very Short Introductions offers concise and original introductions to a wide range of subjects--from Islam to Sociology, Politics to Classics, and Literary Theory to History. Not simply a textbook of definitions, each volume provides trenchant and provocative--yet always balanced and complete--discussions of the central issues in a given topic. Every Very Short Introduction gives a readable evolution of the subject in question, demonstrating how it has developed and influenced society. Whatever the area of study, whatever the topic that fascinates the reader, the series has a handy and affordable guide that will likely prove indispensable.
Read more Read less
Previous page
  1. ISBN-10
    0199206589
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0199206582
  3. Edition
    First Edition
  4. Publisher
    Oxford University Press
  5. Publication date
    December 3, 2007
  6. Language
    English
  7. Dimensions
    4.5 x 1 x 6.75 inches
  8. Print length
    200 pages
  9. See all details
Next page
Amazon First Reads | Editors' picks at exclusive prices

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Geopolitics: Questions for Consideration and Discussion

  • How might American foreign policy be described as geopolitical?

  • What do action heroes like Jack Bauer and Jason Bourne say about popular geopolitical representations of the war on terror?

  • What role does the United Nations play in sustaining geopolitical stability? Could it be an agent of geopolitical change?

  • Do you think that the internet and social networking sites like Facebook are transforming the very essence of geopolitics?

  • Looking ahead, do you think the next generation of wars will be fought over access to resources?

Book Description

An illuminating look at the concept of geopolitics, revealing how a country's location and size as well as its sovereignty and resources all affect how its people understand and interact with the wider world

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oxford University Press; First Edition (December 3, 2007)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 200 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0199206589
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0199206582
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 5.8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.5 x 1 x 6.75 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.8 3.8 out of 5 stars 26 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Klaus Dodds

Klaus Dodds

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

Customer reviews

3.8 out of 5 stars
3.8 out of 5
26 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

mer-___ -
5.0 out of 5 stars I loved it!
Reviewed in the United States on January 27, 2013
Verified Purchase
This book was great. It was very informative and it gave a great introduction into what geopolitics are and how certain countries and institutions use the concept.
Helpful
 Report
W. Sheridan
4.0 out of 5 stars New Age Geopolitics
Reviewed in the United States on December 19, 2007
Since the advent of the Knowledge Society and Cyberspace some analysts have made rash claims about "the death of distance" and the irrelevance of territory. Finally however a new metaphor has surfaced which both recognizes the new and respects the old: "the continent with the fastest growing population is, in fact, a new one - the Internet." It is still only from geographically circumscribed territories that food and fibre are grown, and resources are mined or harvested. And the networks that move people, information, commodities and money around the world transverse territories - that is what makes them networks!

As Prof. Dodds recalls for us, the concept of geopolitics rose to prominence during the early 20th century, only to subsequently fall into disrepute and disuse after Nazi machinations were attributed to "geopolitical strategizing." This was guilt by association, but the popular press and the public itself accepted this distortion. Only a half-century later is the true intellectual utility of geopolitical analysis finally being accepted again. Dodds has won recognition for his efforts to reformulate and restore geopolitics to intellectual respectability. In this short introduction he gives us the rationale for this way of thinking, and some of the insights produced with it.

Now geopolitics has a more "critical" edge than when it was initially developed. It is no longer the servant of power politics, but rather an instrument to analyze and challenge the complacent view of the world that "great power politics" suggests. By looking at every message and every move of the politically and economically powerful, we can see how they are trying to define the issues in the global society in their own terms, so that they can mobilize support for their own efforts and resistance to the efforts of their opponents. With the geopolitical perspective it is now apparent that the machinations of ALL of the great power players are Machiavellian, no matter which side they are on, or which policies they pursue. What a relief to get beyond sanctimonious propaganda and see the motives and the methods for what they really are - multiple examples of the will to power. Prof. Dodds is to be thanked for helping to promote that clarity of vision.
4 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Luis Narvaez
5.0 out of 5 stars It is a very good introduction about geopolitics
Reviewed in the United States on November 29, 2012
Verified Purchase
Is a sistematic and academic review about geopolitics, its historical evolution and political tool. It gives to the reader a overview and proximity to this political fenomenon.
Helpful
 Report
john
1.0 out of 5 stars Basically an like an editorial from The Guardian or New York Times
Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2009
Verified Purchase
This is such a rich subject - with a few thousand years of history to animate its examples and counter-examples, but unfortunately the author really can't stop himself from writing a long contemporary Guardian-type op-ed that reflects standard British academic bias about America, American politics, American policy, and American leaders. It is very contemporary (whereas the genius of geopolitics itself is of course that its fundamentals are constant), very opinionated in a smarmy dinner party sort of way, i.e. bemoaning the 2004 US election results - bringing to mind the British newspaper headline of the time, "How Could 52 Million Yanks Be So Stupid?" Unfortunately the author is not a good contemporary political commentator, especially on current American politics - with which he is absolutely obsessed - making, for instance, the laughable argument that Hollywood carries conservative America's bathwater. Now that would be news to Sean Penn, Alex Baldwin, Susan Sarandon, and Tim Robbins!

What a loss. The editors should have a re-do and assign the title to an author who actually wants to write a primer about geopolitics.
12 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Camber
3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Trees, But What About the Forest?
Reviewed in the United States on September 20, 2008
Verified Purchase
The author clearly knows his subject and provides plenty of interesting details on geopolitical history and the current geopolitical situation, but this book lacks a systematic introductory overview of the topic, which is what one would expect from the subtitle "a very short introduction." In other words, the author has provided an entertaining guided tour of the trees, but has seemingly altogether forgotten to give an overall sense of the forest. (By the way, this seems to be a growing problem with the VSI series in general. The publisher and editors appear to be asleep at the wheel, or maybe just in the mode of churning these little books out for a quick profit, now that the brand is established.)

Readers already somewhat versed in geopolitics might find this book to be an easy and stimulating read, but I doubt that most other readers will gain much from the book.
14 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Nerd1
2.0 out of 5 stars A very long anti-Bush rant with some interesting theory on the side.
Reviewed in the United States on January 17, 2013
Verified Purchase
About halfway through this short book I started to grow frustrated with Mr. Dodds' ceaseless fascination with the George W. Bush Administration. Rather then providing an introduction to the subject the book seemed at times like rehash of the Huffington Post circa 2006. Any one who lived through these years with their eyes somewhat open doesn't need to be beaten over the head with the failures and missteps that were blindingly obvious to most people who would be buying this book in the first place. George W. Bush appears more times in the index then any other term, often taking up 3-4 pages at a time, of what is supposed to be a very short book. As a result the book feels dated even though the topic it supposedly covers is timeless. The book didn't enrich my understanding of geopolitics at all.
3 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
asb
5.0 out of 5 stars A really good, clear and concise outline of some of the ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 19, 2015
Verified Purchase
A really good, clear and concise outline of some of the issues in geopolitics. As might be expected, there's a whole world of content that could be added in to this, but then it would cease to be very short!
Report
安野正士
1.0 out of 5 stars 地政学入門とは名ばかりの愚書
Reviewed in Japan on February 28, 2012
Verified Purchase
地政学とは、地理的な因子が国際政治の力学にどう影響するのかを探求する学問だ、というのが普通の理解だろう。「九州が朝鮮半島にくっついていたら、日本も蒙古軍に蹂躙されていたかもしれないが、海峡があったから独立を保てた」とか、「アメリカは他の大国と違い、近隣にライバルとなる大国がないので、自国周辺の安全にあまり気を取られずに他の地域に影響力を投射できる」などなど。情報が瞬時に世界中を駆け巡り、弾道ミサイルが地球の裏側まで届く時代でも、地理の制約は消え去ったわけではないし、地政学の重要性は減じていない。

ところが、簡便で体系的な入門書と思って手に取った本書の中身は、期待したものとは全く違い、「地政学批判入門」とでもいうべき内容だった。まず説明してから批判するならまだよいが、本書は批判の対象とする地政学とは何かについて、まともな説明をしていない。何の予備知識もない人が本書を読んでおぼろげながら理解できるのは、「地政学とは国際関係に関する地理を重視した見方であって、20世紀前半に流行したが、ナチスと結びついたため戦後は忌避された。今日では再び地政学という言葉が使われるようになっているが、右寄りの政治家や偉ぶった学者連中が、戦争をあおったり私益をはかったりするために使う言葉になっている」ということだけだ。そうした場合もあるかもしれないが、それならばなおのこと、地政学がどんな理論で人々を騙そうとするのか、具体的に論ずるべきだろう。それをしないで、読者にただ「批判的に見る」ことの大切さを説くのは学問でも教育でもなく、空疎な遊びに過ぎない。

英語圏の地政学や地理学の分野でこうした似非「批判的」アプローチが増殖しているのにはうすうす気づいていたが、一体なぜこのような愚かな議論が横行するのだろう。かつてナチスが利用した、というだけでそこまで地政学を忌避しなければならないのか。「グローバル化した平和な世界」という将来の世界像を守るために、少しでも紛争の可能性を示唆するような議論を排除したいのだろうか。それとも、「批判的」な姿勢をとることで自分も賢くなったように思いたい学者が多いのだろうか。全くお目出度いことだ。

Amazon.comの方でレビューをチェックせずに買った私が馬鹿だった。
5 people found this helpful
 Report
phienaste
4.0 out of 5 stars Quite an introduction
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 10, 2013
Verified Purchase
I liked it a lot. Briefly explaining the concepts of geopolitics. I didn't think it was biased, rather very keen on explaining it in many ways.
2 people found this helpful
 Report
David T.
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 25, 2016
Verified Purchase
Good text
Report
D. Eckley
1.0 out of 5 stars A rambling and preachy failure to introduce geopolitics.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 28, 2014
Verified Purchase
I am none the wiser for reading this book than I would be from reading the first ten lines of Wikipedia. What I got instead was a rambling political lecture on how much the author hates the Bush administration. Yes we know... It was crap! We all lived through it and don't need reminding of the bleeding obvious. However Dodds just can't let it go and keeps coming back to it over and over again. It is tedious. The book overall is poorly organised and has little clear direction to speak of. Very hard to feel like I've gained anything from this book.
One person found this helpful
 Report