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3.39 AVERAGE
3.39 AVERAGE
Frankopan commentary on Russia's annexation of Crimea and Trump's America from the vantage-point of 2018 felt woefully outdated in December 2023.
It might be interesting to come back to this after the 2024 US Presidential Election and if the war for Ukraine ends.
It might be interesting to come back to this after the 2024 US Presidential Election and if the war for Ukraine ends.
I actually picked up this book thinking it was the original Silk Roads. Thus I was expecting a history book, and instead got an overview of modern geopolitics and economics around the Middle East and Asia. However, the book was still pretty interesting, and gave me a brief look at international relations between places like Iran, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Saudi Arabia, and Tajikistan. Major parts of the book center around China and the Belt and Road Initiative. It's very interesting that the cultural and economic centers of the world are shifting, and I look forward to seeing what the next few decades bring.
informative
reflective
informative
slow-paced
informative
fast-paced
informative
medium-paced
Someone in the year above me at university recommended both Silk Roads books by Frankopan. I already owned a copy of this one so decided to read it first before deciding whether to get the other one.
The book mainly focuses on China and the US, although there's considerable focus on Saudi Arabia, Iran, the -stan's and Russia and to a lesser extent, Turkey, Europe, ASEAN, India and Africa. I found some statistics interesting and useful for my studies, most of which being related to trade and economics. There is also a long bibliography at the back as some chapters have over 100 citations each.
From reading the reviews of others, I've learnt that this was a postscript of the original Silk Roads. While I haven't read the former, this doesn't surprise me. Frankopan's choice of vocabulary is fine but I sometimes found it hard to maintain my focus and follow what was going on due to it being in the form of a long essay, especially in the later, longer chapters.
My other main qualm was the poor editing, especially around the midpoint of the book and in the last chapter. There's a few sentences that had several typos or seemed like they had only been semi-rewritten in the editing stages.
Due to Frankopan's focus on China and its foreign policy, I'd say this is a decent read for someone who is interested in/studying International Relations with a focus on China.
The book mainly focuses on China and the US, although there's considerable focus on Saudi Arabia, Iran, the -stan's and Russia and to a lesser extent, Turkey, Europe, ASEAN, India and Africa. I found some statistics interesting and useful for my studies, most of which being related to trade and economics. There is also a long bibliography at the back as some chapters have over 100 citations each.
From reading the reviews of others, I've learnt that this was a postscript of the original Silk Roads. While I haven't read the former, this doesn't surprise me. Frankopan's choice of vocabulary is fine but I sometimes found it hard to maintain my focus and follow what was going on due to it being in the form of a long essay, especially in the later, longer chapters.
My other main qualm was the poor editing, especially around the midpoint of the book and in the last chapter. There's a few sentences that had several typos or seemed like they had only been semi-rewritten in the editing stages.
Due to Frankopan's focus on China and its foreign policy, I'd say this is a decent read for someone who is interested in/studying International Relations with a focus on China.
Extremely frustrating with weak and shallow ‘analysis’. Outdated now, also.
informative
fast-paced
It was an interesting read and I took a lot of notes, but equally disappointing. A little too information-heavy for me.
In his previous book 'The Silk Roads' Frankopane looked at the historical importance of the links between East and West and how society developed along these trade routes. In this follow up he looks at the changes in the world order that involve the middle and far east and their relationships to the west. The so-called 'Belt and Road' that defines China's influence and domination, the way that rich Asian nations and their people are buying western culture and reaction of the west (particularly Trump) is fascinating. This is a complex and erudite book which shows history merely repeats itself.