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quillcarrier 's review for:
Monsoon: The Indian Ocean and the Future of American Power
by Robert D. Kaplan
This is a very interesting survey of select countries, economies, trade relationships, and politics around the Indian Ocean. The writing is fresh, enlivened with first-hand accounts of people and places. The author has three threads: the development of the countries around the Indian ocean, the importance of the ocean and those countries to world trade, and China's efforts in this vast area. The author frequently provides brief historical reviews, sometimes of recent history or of more distant history, such as trade before the Europeans arrived. I found all of this well-woven into the narrative.
There were a couple uneven bits. There's a chapter on Chinese-US naval rivalry that may have been an original purpose to the book, but seemed out-of-step with the rest. That's when I read the jacket to find out the author is a defense policy analyst. The author finds the ruler of Oman more benign than any other account of Oman's civil liberties that I have found.
Area scholars may find the discussion too shallow and journalistic, but I found it full of useful insights into many of the recent and contemporary developments and struggles in the area. To cite one example, the author visited Gujarat at the time Narendra Modi was chief minister. The author tells the story of the 2002 riots, and reviews the different views of Modi's actions (or inaction) and motivations. The author contrasts that with Modi's then current emphasis on economic development and Gujarat's economic growth, while noting that Modi has not continued his earlier stoking of sectarianism. Interestingly, Modi had lost a national election during the writing of the book, which the author sees as a rejection of sectarian-based policies. Since the book's publication, Modi has won a national election, becoming Prime Minister. Yet Modi's success is due to what the author emphasizes: the perception that Modi is a leader who can create an environment that promotes economic growth.
The book is a useful survey for general readers interested in learning more about this strategic area. The Indian Ocean, like the Straits of Malacca at its eastern end, is a key area for world trade, as it has been at least since the 1500s.
There were a couple uneven bits. There's a chapter on Chinese-US naval rivalry that may have been an original purpose to the book, but seemed out-of-step with the rest. That's when I read the jacket to find out the author is a defense policy analyst. The author finds the ruler of Oman more benign than any other account of Oman's civil liberties that I have found.
Area scholars may find the discussion too shallow and journalistic, but I found it full of useful insights into many of the recent and contemporary developments and struggles in the area. To cite one example, the author visited Gujarat at the time Narendra Modi was chief minister. The author tells the story of the 2002 riots, and reviews the different views of Modi's actions (or inaction) and motivations. The author contrasts that with Modi's then current emphasis on economic development and Gujarat's economic growth, while noting that Modi has not continued his earlier stoking of sectarianism. Interestingly, Modi had lost a national election during the writing of the book, which the author sees as a rejection of sectarian-based policies. Since the book's publication, Modi has won a national election, becoming Prime Minister. Yet Modi's success is due to what the author emphasizes: the perception that Modi is a leader who can create an environment that promotes economic growth.
The book is a useful survey for general readers interested in learning more about this strategic area. The Indian Ocean, like the Straits of Malacca at its eastern end, is a key area for world trade, as it has been at least since the 1500s.