The Real Reason Putin Invaded Ukraine?

ONE of the biggest-selling books of recent times is Tim Marshall's Prisoners Of Geography: Ten Maps That Tell You Everything You Need To Know About Global Politics.

It was a bestseller on the Sunday Times' and New York Times' 2015 book lists, and does for geopolitics what a ream of popular books has done for science.

I often resist super-hyped books, but I made an exception for this one when I was short of something to read while away from home.

I am glad I did, although at times it does read like an apologia for Vladimir Putin.

Naturally not everything can be put down to geography, even if the book sometimes gives the impression it can, but I found Prisoners Of Geography an easy and interesting read.

And it is relevant to this blog because geography has played such a big role in military history, and always will.

Prisoners Of Geography ... enjoyable bestseller