Okay , here we go on 2 reads , last one first ! and still halfway through the last one , which is one of the most acclaimed & revered books on geopolitics ! Yeah , I know , I cant resist to drool geopolitics for sometime now , this trend has engulfed me all round ! Geopolitics is swell , geopolitics is like femme fatale – you just don’t want yourself in hot water , and at the same time you cant do anything about it ! 21st century world is multi polar (yes , it is – come out of your cocoon – sooner its better) , hegemony is fiercely competed , sometimes on a even field , and on occasions the playground is uneven ! More importantly , the contemporary world we live in – everyone is a stakeholder , some come with a deadline , and others weigh their time , muster the punches , comes out with all guns blazing !
Hey No , I am not a self acclaimed couch-hogging intellect here on geopolitics – this is what ,my latest piece off the shelves says – its by none other than “Henry Kissinger” & the book is “World Order” carved by passion , acumen , experience , and the endeavors which changed / helped to change , forever , the world & the games nation play ! And how come you don’t remember Kissinger ,1970s, & China !
Coming to this gold dust , though halfway through , does not dither me anyway to write what I make of this 400 pager !
The book, starts with principles of pluralism , Westphalia on what Europe embarked on around 17th century riding on 30 years of devastating war . The book defines states , boundaries (in real sense),non-interference, the balance game , and what shaped the contemporary foreign policy . One of the biggest outcomes of Westphalia arrangement is modern-day diplomacy , which is even followed in current world scenario. Shifting alliances , and to an extent insecurity added by hegemonic attitudes shaped the turmoil in Europe. The book also sheds light on middle east , interestingly the book was published in 2014 , and almost predicted what we saw in recent events in middle east in 2025.The complex negotiations between west and middle east for non-proliferation has also been aptly recounted in the book.
Lastly , as I embarked this voyage , I found first 2 chapters which are on 17th century Europe , Ottomans & World War-I a bit cumbersome to my level of understanding of geopolitics , but realized later what its does for the next chapters – its does set up a solid foundation for you to relate to Middle east , Asia , more importantly why & how of the present day world !
Go , grab this one you want to savor the ingredients of geopolitics complexities , and the path forward.
Enough on Geopolitics ? Hey hold on a bit – just 1 more on the way ! Here comes the book#53 , by none other than the celebrated diplomat “Shyam Saran” and the book “How India Sees the World” , this was my continuation from the book ” How China Sees the world” ! I would honestly note here , I was not so engrossed in the 2nd one of the series (entirely my lack of awareness , needless to say this piece deserve a place in “must-reads” for sure) !
Remember 123 agreement (India-US civil nuclear agreement) in 2005 ? if you would like to know the intricacies , engagement , and the tough terrains these two great nations trudged through to reach an agreement , which in-turn paved way for many other developments which still shapes how these two nations interact – this the book for you !
Sama , Dana , Danda , Bheda – this book takes notes from the timeless Arthashastra by Kautilya from an Indian perspective ! Strategic clarity , multi polarity , and more importantly balancing India’s national-interest pendulum between China challenge and western influences – these are the top billers of this piece ! This book promotes to draw lessons from history to sail through contemporary complexities while not letting down India’s interests !
Go on , Ensure you grab both the books on the series , take the ship to Shyam’s perpetual sea of encounters on geo political not-so-joy-rides !