Publisher Jennie Condell said: ‘ Divided is topical, it’s unflinching, it’s revelatory, but most of all it’s a brilliant read. This is a book that will start conversations. Tim Marshall’s clarity and insight have made him a favourite of readers around the world. We couldn’t be more proud to be publishing this essential work by one of the most exciting authors working in Britain today.’

Distances and time are two things that younger children can struggle with. ‘Oh, how far is 100 miles’ or whatever. But telling somebody that it would take six nights and seven days to travel by train from Vladivostok to Moscow. That sort of ‘oh wow, I have to be on a train for six nights, for seven days, that’s how big it is?’ I like things like that – that has the ‘ooh’ factor. What experiences as a journalist helped shape Prisoners of Geography, both the previous and the new? Understanding the things that have divided us, present and past, is essential to comprehending a lot of what goes on in the world today. Covering Palestine and Israel, China, the Middle East, the USA, the Indian Subcontinent, the UK, and Europe, Tim resents an unflinching and gripping analysis of the fault lines which are going to shape our world for years to come. At this point rescue came in the form of Elon Musk’s SpaceX company, which sent some 10,000 high-speed terminals to connect with its Starlink satellites in low Earth orbit. Soon, the Ukrainians were using these terminals for their military operations as well as to keep their government and vital services online. They could take intelligence, often provided by US satellites, and with their Starlink terminals guide drones and direct their artillery. Russian attempts to jam them failed. Yet the importance of Starlink also led Musk to worry about his role in the conflict. He placed restrictions on Ukraine’s ability to use his satellites for purposes other than the defence of its own territory. Originally from Leeds, he arrived at broadcasting from the road less traveled. Not a journalism or media studies graduate, in fact not even a graduate at all, after a totally unsuccessful career as a decorator and painter he worked his way through newsroom night shifts, and some unpaid stints as a researcher and runner before he eventually secured himself a foothold on the first rung of the broadcasting career ladder.Turkey - tension with Greece about the 'Blue Wave' territory as well as preferring non-interference while working at rebuilding it's destiny as a global power. "Democracy" (power/control) for the Islamist authorities while removal/elimination of dissents. Also, too many instances of pro-British whitewashing of history. The colonial French were vile bastards. But Britain was just a little bit naughty and all is forgiven because we abolished slavery first. Any non-Western atrocities are given plenty of attention, however. Welcome to the 2020s. The Cold War era, in which the USA and the Soviet Union dominated the entire world, is becoming a distant memory. We are entering a new age of great-power rivalry in which numerous actors, even minor players, are jostling to take centre stage. The geopolitical drama is even spilling out of our earthly realm, as countries stake their claims above our atmosphere, to the Moon and beyond.”

United Kingdom - building an empire and then breaking it apart. Brexit could lead to further division especially with Scotland wanting independence - Northern Ireland and Wales leaning that way too.Tim’s a reported Leeds United supporter, and a Leeds United logo was visible at his home, on a Politics Live that aired February 22, 2022. And it was sort of, I mean, it is obvious. But many things are not always apparent, if you see what I mean. It is obvious that there is a geographical underpinning to many events, but it was just the starkness of that moment. It never left me. And so pretty much every international story I ever covered subsequent to that was through the prism of explaining what is going on there. It’s geography in its widest sense. I just found it helped me so much to understand the dynamics of pretty much any given situation. Ankara's relations with its immediate neighbours are also affected by the two major challenges it has faced on the domestic front: the development of Anatolia, and its 'forever war' against the Kurds."

Well, we periodically go through turbulent times and that’s why they make history. It’s why we sit up and take notice. But in between there are long stretches of calmer times in which great progress is made. If history goes in waves, we will come out of this wave and we will carry on doing what we’ve done as a species for the last several centuries, which is rapidly improve. What did make sense, however, was to use space to support military operations on land. As Sputnik travelled high above numerous countries, including the US, without any possibility of interference, it created its own precedent. Outer space could be separated from airspace. Satellites were not trespassing when they passed over another country’s territory. Yet they could photograph military developments on that territory. In this sequel of Prisoners of Geography, Marshall explores secondary/tertiary powers not covered in the original, their history, geographical advantages/limitations and current and future role in their particular region/world. Here are my thoughts: Tim Marshall has become the most reputable and authoritative writer on modern geopolitics and current affairs. To say I have greatly enjoyed every book of his thus far is an understatement: I loved them. But there is something about The Power of Geography which fell a little short for me, this time. Tim Marshall was Diplomatic Editor and Foreign Correspondent for Sky News. After thirty years’ experience in news reporting and presenting, he left full time news journalism to concentrate on writing and analysis.Charlotte Heathcote of the Daily Mirror noted the recurring scenario throughout the book that China is aiming to surpass the United States as the world's superpower, and concluded "I can’t imagine reading a better book this year". [3] I cannot even count the number of times I've passed like a complete illiterate by saying stuff like Iranians are Arabic. And this is no small thing. One day a girl asked me if all Colombians were Mexicans. I was so confused by what she even meant with the question. Of course, I'm sure I've been on the ignorant side of the question more times that I've realized. p. 176 - "In the 1990s Turkey had re-established itself as a major trade route after building gas and oil pipes running from Iraq and the Caspian Sea through Anatolia to supply Europe. It had also put together one of the largest and most efficient militaries in NATO, giving it confidence as it assessed the new world around it." The history of the world is the triumph of the heartless over the mindless." - Sir Humphrey Appleby, Yes, Prime Minister

Having read Marshall's earlier book Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps That Explain Everything About the World and hearing that he had an 'updated' sequel, I figured I'd see what had changed. These tensions arise not just from geopolitics, but also from a parallel commercial imperative: "There's money to be made in space, and people are out to get it." So if you're not worried about the prospect of a Star Wars future, you'll need to get used to the idea of advertising being beamed across the firmament. I’m not a doom-monger, despite writing about doom and gloom quite a lot. I’m actually relatively optimistic that in the grand scheme of things we keep going in an upward direction.

Publication Order of TimMarshall Non-Fiction Books

The race for dominance in space is shaping the future of humanity. Join bestselling author and international diplomacy expert, Tim Marshall, as he lifts the lid on the geopolitical space race. Marshall is not very good at writing about history and it is painful to trudge through those middle sections. He clearly attempts to be "impartial" but because he gives attention to certain areas and skips over others, he falls on his arse.