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Geography Is Destiny: Britain and the World: A 10,000-Year History
In the wake of Brexit, Ian Morris chronicles the ten-thousand-year history of Britain's relationship to Europe as it has changed in the context of a globalizing world.
When Britain voted to leave the European Union in 2016, the 48 percent who wanted to stay and the 52 percent who wanted to go each accused the other of stupidity, fraud, and treason. In reality, the Brexit debate merely reran a script written ten thousand years earlier, when the rising seas physically separated the British Isles from the European continent. Ever since, geography has been destiny―yet it is humans who get to decide what that destiny means.
Ian Morris, the critically acclaimed author of Why the West Rules―for Now , describes how technology and organization have steadily enlarged Britain’s arena, and how its people have tried to turn this to their advantage. For the first seventy-five hundred years, the British were never more than bit players at the western edge of a European stage, struggling to find a role among bigger, richer, and more sophisticated continental rivals. By 1500 CE, however, new kinds of ships and governments had turned the European stage into an Atlantic one; with the English Channel now functioning as a barrier, England transformed the British Isles into a United Kingdom that created a worldwide empire. Since 1900, thanks to rapid globalization, Britain has been overshadowed by American, European, and―increasingly―Chinese actors.
In trying to find its place in a global economy, Britain has been looking in all the wrong places. The ten-thousand-year story bracingly chronicled by Geography Is Destiny shows that the great question for the current century is not what to do about Brussels; it’s what to do about Beijing.
When Britain voted to leave the European Union in 2016, the 48 percent who wanted to stay and the 52 percent who wanted to go each accused the other of stupidity, fraud, and treason. In reality, the Brexit debate merely reran a script written ten thousand years earlier, when the rising seas physically separated the British Isles from the European continent. Ever since, geography has been destiny―yet it is humans who get to decide what that destiny means.
Ian Morris, the critically acclaimed author of Why the West Rules―for Now , describes how technology and organization have steadily enlarged Britain’s arena, and how its people have tried to turn this to their advantage. For the first seventy-five hundred years, the British were never more than bit players at the western edge of a European stage, struggling to find a role among bigger, richer, and more sophisticated continental rivals. By 1500 CE, however, new kinds of ships and governments had turned the European stage into an Atlantic one; with the English Channel now functioning as a barrier, England transformed the British Isles into a United Kingdom that created a worldwide empire. Since 1900, thanks to rapid globalization, Britain has been overshadowed by American, European, and―increasingly―Chinese actors.
In trying to find its place in a global economy, Britain has been looking in all the wrong places. The ten-thousand-year story bracingly chronicled by Geography Is Destiny shows that the great question for the current century is not what to do about Brussels; it’s what to do about Beijing.
576 pages, Hardcover
First published May 12, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
July 29, 2023
Like many, if not most, Americans of my generation, I read 1984 in high school, at a time when the title year was still almost two decades in the future and there was still a chance that Orwell's dystopian world could come to pass. However, the thing that I most remember (other than the love scene that made sex seem boring and perfunctory) from Orwell's classic was that in his tripartite political division of the world, he placed the British Isles in Oceania rather than Eurasia. In my American view of geography (not to mention a deeply ingrained pedantry that was already being revealed in my adolescent self) Britons, even if they were having boring and perfunctory sex, should be included in Europe rather than with the Americas, and I was curious as to Orwell's motivation for this classification.
But now more than half a century later, Ian Morris has come forward with Geography Is Destiny which somewhat sates my curiosity on this matter, describing the almost schizophrenic relationship that the British Isles have had with the European mainland. As the title indicates, Professor Morris, obviously not wanting to leave any stone unturned, starts his narrative 10,000 years ago when finally there were sufficient humans on each side of the Channel for there be a meaningful relationship between the two populations.
It turns out that the inhabitants of the Isles have at time embraced Europeans and many aspects of European culture, while at other times they have preferred isolation. Further complicating matters, Morris detects a geographical dichotomy between southeastern England and the more northerly and westerly areas of the Isles. If one area was embracing Europe, the other was likely rejecting it.
It is understandable that Orwell, writing in the mid-20th century, would consider Europe more trouble than it was worth. Even if he was constructing the world of 1984 out of his imagination, he balked at physically moving his homeland further out into the ocean, and settled for separating it from the continent with a political boundary.
This book is extremely readable and should be of interest to readers who are adamant Brexiteers, as well as those who prefer a more cosmopolitan locale.
But now more than half a century later, Ian Morris has come forward with Geography Is Destiny which somewhat sates my curiosity on this matter, describing the almost schizophrenic relationship that the British Isles have had with the European mainland. As the title indicates, Professor Morris, obviously not wanting to leave any stone unturned, starts his narrative 10,000 years ago when finally there were sufficient humans on each side of the Channel for there be a meaningful relationship between the two populations.
It turns out that the inhabitants of the Isles have at time embraced Europeans and many aspects of European culture, while at other times they have preferred isolation. Further complicating matters, Morris detects a geographical dichotomy between southeastern England and the more northerly and westerly areas of the Isles. If one area was embracing Europe, the other was likely rejecting it.
It is understandable that Orwell, writing in the mid-20th century, would consider Europe more trouble than it was worth. Even if he was constructing the world of 1984 out of his imagination, he balked at physically moving his homeland further out into the ocean, and settled for separating it from the continent with a political boundary.
This book is extremely readable and should be of interest to readers who are adamant Brexiteers, as well as those who prefer a more cosmopolitan locale.
July 24, 2023
Ian Morris' "Geography is Destiny" was excellent. It is a look at how Geography has affected Britain and its place in the world. Starting with what he calls Thatcher's Law:
"...Neither Mr. Foot nor Mr. Benn nor anyone else will ever be able to 'take us out of Europe', for Europe is where we are and where we have always been.."
Morris then goes on in a broad-scope analysis of history and shows how Britain throughout millennia has had to deal with the rest of Europe. From the concept of counterscarps, which in this case are like buffer zones, Morris shows the various invasions that the Isles have suffered through that set the basis for the development of Britain. Starting at 6,000 BCE and going all the way to Brexit, this book is full of fascinating information and history. It isn't focused on individuals so much as showing broad policy and thought patterns that pervaded Britain at different times in its history and how those concepts helped to shape Britain and, eventually, its foreign policy.
Well written, balanced, and superbly researched this is a book that will not only inform and entertain but will give you a new way of looking at Britain and its oft-complicated relationship with the rest of Continental Europe. Perhaps the only point of contention I have for his conclusions tend to revolve around his thinking Communist China has much of a future. Obviously written pre-2020, he seems unaware of the fake economic data released by the Chinese government, and his praise of the "impressive cities sprouting up" fails to realize that they are "ghost cities" that were made to prop up the economy and artificially create a housing bubble. All of this economic fucknuttery coupled with the devastating fall in birth rates leads most serious analysts to justifiably scoff at "Chinese dominance" of anything since by 2050 their population will be halved and their underlying economy is mostly smoke and mirrors (unless you believe their data, which like Russia's data is heavily manipulated by the government and should be taken with an overflowing handful of salt).
Still, the Communist China analysis is his only contention for me, the rest of the book is superb. It gives me some excellent concepts that will help with my macro understanding of Britain and its view of its place in Europe and, by extension, the world. Never dry, often dry and witty, this is a wonderful history book and highly recommended.
"...Neither Mr. Foot nor Mr. Benn nor anyone else will ever be able to 'take us out of Europe', for Europe is where we are and where we have always been.."
Morris then goes on in a broad-scope analysis of history and shows how Britain throughout millennia has had to deal with the rest of Europe. From the concept of counterscarps, which in this case are like buffer zones, Morris shows the various invasions that the Isles have suffered through that set the basis for the development of Britain. Starting at 6,000 BCE and going all the way to Brexit, this book is full of fascinating information and history. It isn't focused on individuals so much as showing broad policy and thought patterns that pervaded Britain at different times in its history and how those concepts helped to shape Britain and, eventually, its foreign policy.
Well written, balanced, and superbly researched this is a book that will not only inform and entertain but will give you a new way of looking at Britain and its oft-complicated relationship with the rest of Continental Europe. Perhaps the only point of contention I have for his conclusions tend to revolve around his thinking Communist China has much of a future. Obviously written pre-2020, he seems unaware of the fake economic data released by the Chinese government, and his praise of the "impressive cities sprouting up" fails to realize that they are "ghost cities" that were made to prop up the economy and artificially create a housing bubble. All of this economic fucknuttery coupled with the devastating fall in birth rates leads most serious analysts to justifiably scoff at "Chinese dominance" of anything since by 2050 their population will be halved and their underlying economy is mostly smoke and mirrors (unless you believe their data, which like Russia's data is heavily manipulated by the government and should be taken with an overflowing handful of salt).
Still, the Communist China analysis is his only contention for me, the rest of the book is superb. It gives me some excellent concepts that will help with my macro understanding of Britain and its view of its place in Europe and, by extension, the world. Never dry, often dry and witty, this is a wonderful history book and highly recommended.
April 5, 2023
I listened to the audiobook.
Awesome! Chock full of information, including lesser-known facts and perspectives.
Awesome! Chock full of information, including lesser-known facts and perspectives.
May 25, 2022
Dieses Werk habe ich gern gelesen. Es hat einfach Spaß gemacht. Zumindest auf etwa 4/5 der Gesamtstrecke.
Der Autor kennt sich in seinem Fach Geschichte Großbritanniens bestens aus und weiß, sein Wissen bildhaft, sehr zugänglich und spannend zu präsentieren, und somit den Leser auf diese leichte und intelligente Art prima zu unterhalten.
Gerade diese Art der Stoffdarbietung hat auf weiten Strecken viel Lesevergnügen bereitet: diese Pfiffigkeit, der leicht ironisch-humorige Ton, wenn es um die früheren Zeiten in Teil I und II ging. Kapitel 7 im Teil II (Die Neuausrichtung: 1713-1815), auch Kapitel 8 (Weiter, immer weiter: 1815-1865), fallen sehr aussagestark aus: Sie beschreiben u.a. die Dinge, die damals zugrunde gelegt wurden, die wiederum das Geschehen in Europa heute plausibel erklären können. Der Autor liefert auch bestimmte Fakten, die einem auch historisch interessierten Leser bis dato nicht so geläufig waren. Spannende Vergleiche, z.B. Großbritannien im 16 und 19. Jh., wie sich das Land und Menschen entwickelt haben. Vergleiche der Könige, was der eine sich herausnahm und der andere nicht mehr konnte usw. setzen quasi ein Tüpfelchen auf dem i.
Die zahlreichen Karten, Fotos und Zeichnungen bereichern das Leseerlebnis ungemein. Geografie spielt (natürlich) eine große Rolle.
Leider, je näher die Erzählung zur Gegenwart rückte, desto öfter musste ich denken: So manches ist hier echt mit Vorsicht zu genießen, was mich das Ganze noch kritischer betrachten ließ. Die NATO-Denke machte sich auf der Strecke, die die Nachkriegszeit bis zur Gegenwart beschreibt, Teil 3, etwa hundert Seiten, deutlich bemerkbar. Mehrere Griffe der (plumpen) Meinungsmache traten zutage. (Lernen Sie mal bei Gelegenheit „Propaganda“ von Jaques Ellul kennen). Einiges wurde schöngeredet, anderes erst gar nicht erwähnt (Lesen Sie mal z.B. die Biografie von Leonid Breschnew aus der Feder von Susanne Schattenberg): Passte wohl nicht in den vorgegebenen Erzählrahmen. Das gezeichnete Bild geriet entsprechend stark verzerrt. Hier war vielsagender, was der werte Autor ausgelassen als das, was er gesagt hatte. Schade. Gerade diese leicht ironische Pfiffigkeit, die das Werk aus der Masse gehoben hatte, fehlte im Teil 3. Beklemmung machte sich breit. Hier kamen mir die Worte von Ulrich Teusch („Lückenpresse“, „Der Krieg vor dem Krieg“, „Politische Angst“) oft genug in den Sinn: „Nachrichten im ‚Lückenjournalismus‘ sind gekennzeichnet durch spezifische Gewichtung, tendenziöse Bewertung (Doppelmoral) und teilweise gezielte Unterdrückung, was durch die gängigen Narrative in den Mainstream-Medien quasi systemimmanent geschieht.“ Just so war Teil 3 und teilweise die 2.te Hälfte von Teil 2 gestaltet. Klar, konnte man sich denken, dass ein Brite, der seit Jahrzehnten in den USA lebt, wohl kaum was anderes bringen wird. Ich wollte mich aber nicht auf Vorurteile verlassen. Ich lasse mich diesbezüglich gerne überraschen. Es bleibt aber dabei: „Wer die Wahrheit sagt, muss ein schnelles Pferd haben“, wie das alte Sprichwort sagt. Heute wagen nur wenige, die Dinge in aller Klarheit, den Tatsachen entsprechend zu beschreiben, und erst dann, wenn sie vom System nicht mehr finanziell und anderswie abhängig sind, wie Ulrike Guerot in ihrem sehr lesenswerten Werk „Wer schweigt, stimmt zu“ schreibt.
Dennoch ist „Geografie ist Schicksal“ ein durchaus kennenlernenswertes Buch geworden, das u.a. eine gute Erklärung abgibt, warum die Briten für Brexit gestimmt haben, und noch einiges mehr.
Das Buch ist hochwertig gestaltet: Festeinband, Umschlagblatt, Lesebändchen. Die vielen Karten, Fotos etc., Literaturverzeichnis, Register runden den guten Eindruck ab. Es ist schon ein dicker, recht schwerer Foliant geworden.
Für die Liebhaber der englischen Geschichte ein Muss.
Der Autor kennt sich in seinem Fach Geschichte Großbritanniens bestens aus und weiß, sein Wissen bildhaft, sehr zugänglich und spannend zu präsentieren, und somit den Leser auf diese leichte und intelligente Art prima zu unterhalten.
Gerade diese Art der Stoffdarbietung hat auf weiten Strecken viel Lesevergnügen bereitet: diese Pfiffigkeit, der leicht ironisch-humorige Ton, wenn es um die früheren Zeiten in Teil I und II ging. Kapitel 7 im Teil II (Die Neuausrichtung: 1713-1815), auch Kapitel 8 (Weiter, immer weiter: 1815-1865), fallen sehr aussagestark aus: Sie beschreiben u.a. die Dinge, die damals zugrunde gelegt wurden, die wiederum das Geschehen in Europa heute plausibel erklären können. Der Autor liefert auch bestimmte Fakten, die einem auch historisch interessierten Leser bis dato nicht so geläufig waren. Spannende Vergleiche, z.B. Großbritannien im 16 und 19. Jh., wie sich das Land und Menschen entwickelt haben. Vergleiche der Könige, was der eine sich herausnahm und der andere nicht mehr konnte usw. setzen quasi ein Tüpfelchen auf dem i.
Die zahlreichen Karten, Fotos und Zeichnungen bereichern das Leseerlebnis ungemein. Geografie spielt (natürlich) eine große Rolle.
Leider, je näher die Erzählung zur Gegenwart rückte, desto öfter musste ich denken: So manches ist hier echt mit Vorsicht zu genießen, was mich das Ganze noch kritischer betrachten ließ. Die NATO-Denke machte sich auf der Strecke, die die Nachkriegszeit bis zur Gegenwart beschreibt, Teil 3, etwa hundert Seiten, deutlich bemerkbar. Mehrere Griffe der (plumpen) Meinungsmache traten zutage. (Lernen Sie mal bei Gelegenheit „Propaganda“ von Jaques Ellul kennen). Einiges wurde schöngeredet, anderes erst gar nicht erwähnt (Lesen Sie mal z.B. die Biografie von Leonid Breschnew aus der Feder von Susanne Schattenberg): Passte wohl nicht in den vorgegebenen Erzählrahmen. Das gezeichnete Bild geriet entsprechend stark verzerrt. Hier war vielsagender, was der werte Autor ausgelassen als das, was er gesagt hatte. Schade. Gerade diese leicht ironische Pfiffigkeit, die das Werk aus der Masse gehoben hatte, fehlte im Teil 3. Beklemmung machte sich breit. Hier kamen mir die Worte von Ulrich Teusch („Lückenpresse“, „Der Krieg vor dem Krieg“, „Politische Angst“) oft genug in den Sinn: „Nachrichten im ‚Lückenjournalismus‘ sind gekennzeichnet durch spezifische Gewichtung, tendenziöse Bewertung (Doppelmoral) und teilweise gezielte Unterdrückung, was durch die gängigen Narrative in den Mainstream-Medien quasi systemimmanent geschieht.“ Just so war Teil 3 und teilweise die 2.te Hälfte von Teil 2 gestaltet. Klar, konnte man sich denken, dass ein Brite, der seit Jahrzehnten in den USA lebt, wohl kaum was anderes bringen wird. Ich wollte mich aber nicht auf Vorurteile verlassen. Ich lasse mich diesbezüglich gerne überraschen. Es bleibt aber dabei: „Wer die Wahrheit sagt, muss ein schnelles Pferd haben“, wie das alte Sprichwort sagt. Heute wagen nur wenige, die Dinge in aller Klarheit, den Tatsachen entsprechend zu beschreiben, und erst dann, wenn sie vom System nicht mehr finanziell und anderswie abhängig sind, wie Ulrike Guerot in ihrem sehr lesenswerten Werk „Wer schweigt, stimmt zu“ schreibt.
Dennoch ist „Geografie ist Schicksal“ ein durchaus kennenlernenswertes Buch geworden, das u.a. eine gute Erklärung abgibt, warum die Briten für Brexit gestimmt haben, und noch einiges mehr.
Das Buch ist hochwertig gestaltet: Festeinband, Umschlagblatt, Lesebändchen. Die vielen Karten, Fotos etc., Literaturverzeichnis, Register runden den guten Eindruck ab. Es ist schon ein dicker, recht schwerer Foliant geworden.
Für die Liebhaber der englischen Geschichte ein Muss.
September 5, 2022
A fun book. It runs through the entire history of the UK in a fun, snappy way. At times I wished there was more information provided on a particular topic but that would have spoiled the overall intent of the book. It helped that I just returned from a trip to the UK. I wish I had read the book before I went. I would have been better prepared to appreciate the influence of the Romans on the town of Lincoln, where we have relatives and spent several days. I listened to the Audible version and the narrator was excellent (except where he attempted American or Australian accents but these were mercifully rare).
August 9, 2023
Geography Is Destiny: Britain And The World: A 10,000-Year History, by Ian Morris
While it is hard to think of this now, for the vast majority of human history, the British Isles were a peripheral area that was at the tail end of human advancement and development occurring in areas like the Middle East and Mediterranean Basin that arrived--often violently--after a lag of hundreds or even thousands of years, and that just as the islands were catching up with the last set of changes and getting their feet under them, some other development came and swept them under again. How that changed, and how England looks right now, is at the heart of this very interesting and thoughtful book. Given the fact that this is a one-volume work with a monumental scope, it is obvious that the book takes a bird's eye view of history and looks at large trends without getting caught up too much in the details, but for those who enjoy such an account and have read the relevant and more detailed histories that this book uses for its source material, it makes for a worthwhile and thought-provoking read. Even if one may not agree with everything in this book, the book can at least start a conversation about the long-term tangled involvement or lack thereof of the British Isles with Europe and the ambiguity of those interactions as well as the role of England within the isles as well as with Europe and the wider world.
In terms of its contents, this book is almost 400 pages of text and is divided into three parts based on different maps that England has had to work through. After an introduction, the author spends five chapters writing about England's situation under the Hereford Map from about 6000BC to 1497AD, when England was a peripheral region of Eurasia and was the last place where developments came that spread from more central areas. This includes chapters about Thatcher's law from 6000-4000BC when England was first being made as the seas rose and separated it from mainland Europe (1), England's place as the poor cousin of Europe subject to repeated foreign incursions and invasions from 4000BC to 55BC (2), England's place in the Roman Empire (3), the Original European Union of Christian nations that England was a peripheral part of from 410-973 (4), and the United Kingdoms and the struggle for dominance within the British Isles as well as the place of Britain with regards to Scandinavia and France (5). The second part of the book contains four chapters that look at Mackinder's map of English centrality to the world, discussing Englexit (6), from 1497-1713 when England separated from the rest of Europe, the pivot between England as a peripheral state to a central imperial one (7) from 1713 to 1815, the wider span of English world dominance from 1815-65 (8), and the growing power and wealth of the New World, especially the United States, from 1865 to 1945 (9). The book then contains three chapters about the money map that the United States and Soviet Union created during the Cold War and that continues to drive how the world works, with chapters on the junction between the UK and Europe after World War II (10), the growing struggle over Britain's ambiguous place in Europe (11), and a look at the aftermath of Brexit (12). The book then ends with acknowledgments, notes, references, a list of illustrations, and an index.
One of the remarkable aspects of this book is the evenhandedness of it. The author recognizes that a certain ambivalence about the place of England within Europe is a longstanding issue, from before England was, well, England. There have always been questions about whether prosperity, which came from lowering barriers to trade and transportation, or security, which required strong walls and a vigilant defense against hostile outsiders, was more important. The British Isles have suffered repeatedly from foreign invasions until they were strong enough to become the imperialists themselves instead of being massacred in wave after wave of conquests up to 1066. This book puts English concern about their security, and the ambivalence of other areas in being ruled by England, in a large context that allows for multiple perspectives on the historical events themselves, and a recognition of the fundamental ambivalence of England's place within Europe, and the place of Wales, Scotland, and Ireland in a set of islands that has often been dominated by England. The author reflects on choices that have been made in history and the way that geography represents facts on the ground that have to be taken into account even as people do choose how to deal with those facts. It would be interesting to see this approach taken to other areas as well. It is my belief that the author is too sanguine about China's own power and the problems it has in trying to project power abroad given its own internal difficulties, but we will see whether pundits and would-be prophets are right or wrong in extrapolating Chinese power improvements to the level that they do, or whether the future offers something else.
While it is hard to think of this now, for the vast majority of human history, the British Isles were a peripheral area that was at the tail end of human advancement and development occurring in areas like the Middle East and Mediterranean Basin that arrived--often violently--after a lag of hundreds or even thousands of years, and that just as the islands were catching up with the last set of changes and getting their feet under them, some other development came and swept them under again. How that changed, and how England looks right now, is at the heart of this very interesting and thoughtful book. Given the fact that this is a one-volume work with a monumental scope, it is obvious that the book takes a bird's eye view of history and looks at large trends without getting caught up too much in the details, but for those who enjoy such an account and have read the relevant and more detailed histories that this book uses for its source material, it makes for a worthwhile and thought-provoking read. Even if one may not agree with everything in this book, the book can at least start a conversation about the long-term tangled involvement or lack thereof of the British Isles with Europe and the ambiguity of those interactions as well as the role of England within the isles as well as with Europe and the wider world.
In terms of its contents, this book is almost 400 pages of text and is divided into three parts based on different maps that England has had to work through. After an introduction, the author spends five chapters writing about England's situation under the Hereford Map from about 6000BC to 1497AD, when England was a peripheral region of Eurasia and was the last place where developments came that spread from more central areas. This includes chapters about Thatcher's law from 6000-4000BC when England was first being made as the seas rose and separated it from mainland Europe (1), England's place as the poor cousin of Europe subject to repeated foreign incursions and invasions from 4000BC to 55BC (2), England's place in the Roman Empire (3), the Original European Union of Christian nations that England was a peripheral part of from 410-973 (4), and the United Kingdoms and the struggle for dominance within the British Isles as well as the place of Britain with regards to Scandinavia and France (5). The second part of the book contains four chapters that look at Mackinder's map of English centrality to the world, discussing Englexit (6), from 1497-1713 when England separated from the rest of Europe, the pivot between England as a peripheral state to a central imperial one (7) from 1713 to 1815, the wider span of English world dominance from 1815-65 (8), and the growing power and wealth of the New World, especially the United States, from 1865 to 1945 (9). The book then contains three chapters about the money map that the United States and Soviet Union created during the Cold War and that continues to drive how the world works, with chapters on the junction between the UK and Europe after World War II (10), the growing struggle over Britain's ambiguous place in Europe (11), and a look at the aftermath of Brexit (12). The book then ends with acknowledgments, notes, references, a list of illustrations, and an index.
One of the remarkable aspects of this book is the evenhandedness of it. The author recognizes that a certain ambivalence about the place of England within Europe is a longstanding issue, from before England was, well, England. There have always been questions about whether prosperity, which came from lowering barriers to trade and transportation, or security, which required strong walls and a vigilant defense against hostile outsiders, was more important. The British Isles have suffered repeatedly from foreign invasions until they were strong enough to become the imperialists themselves instead of being massacred in wave after wave of conquests up to 1066. This book puts English concern about their security, and the ambivalence of other areas in being ruled by England, in a large context that allows for multiple perspectives on the historical events themselves, and a recognition of the fundamental ambivalence of England's place within Europe, and the place of Wales, Scotland, and Ireland in a set of islands that has often been dominated by England. The author reflects on choices that have been made in history and the way that geography represents facts on the ground that have to be taken into account even as people do choose how to deal with those facts. It would be interesting to see this approach taken to other areas as well. It is my belief that the author is too sanguine about China's own power and the problems it has in trying to project power abroad given its own internal difficulties, but we will see whether pundits and would-be prophets are right or wrong in extrapolating Chinese power improvements to the level that they do, or whether the future offers something else.
December 25, 2023
I enjoyed most of the book, but I do have a few small critiques. The chapters up to 1945 were well paced and felt reasonably unbiased. The last couple of chapters didn't flow so seamlessly though. I wasn't particularly bothered by the author making a lot of first person interjections, but I was a little put off by the decision to paint the UK in a light very clearly inspired by his upbringing. Perhaps this is because the author has actual ties to modern history, as we all do to some extent. As such, there were a few questions which were not addressed to my liking.
Firstly, discussion about the Crown and how it relates to today's politics was largely ignored. I really wanted to know just much weight monarchs have nowadays, but unfortunately this book didn't provide a satisfactory answer. All monarchs up to Queen Victoria garnered reasonable focus, but all after 1900 seemed to barely receive a mention. (A bit tangential, but why do people still get knighted?)
Secondly, the political motivations between the early Whigs and Tories were somewhat challenging to understand. Maybe it's because I'm an American, or don't know anything about the nuances between different sects of Christianity, but the sections of the book about these parties and their allies/rivals caused me more confusion than clarity. It also never was clear to me why the Labour party replaced the Whigs, if that's even a fair assessment.
Overall, I believe Dr. Morris did a pretty good job painting Britain as she evolved over the ages. At under 500 pages (paperback) the picture felt largely complete, even though a lot of details were necessarily omitted. But, because this book is targeted towards laypeople interested in history, I would certainly consider it a success. It's not always gripping, and occasionally raised more questions than it answered, but still it does justice to a particularly relevant and complex subject.
Firstly, discussion about the Crown and how it relates to today's politics was largely ignored. I really wanted to know just much weight monarchs have nowadays, but unfortunately this book didn't provide a satisfactory answer. All monarchs up to Queen Victoria garnered reasonable focus, but all after 1900 seemed to barely receive a mention. (A bit tangential, but why do people still get knighted?)
Secondly, the political motivations between the early Whigs and Tories were somewhat challenging to understand. Maybe it's because I'm an American, or don't know anything about the nuances between different sects of Christianity, but the sections of the book about these parties and their allies/rivals caused me more confusion than clarity. It also never was clear to me why the Labour party replaced the Whigs, if that's even a fair assessment.
Overall, I believe Dr. Morris did a pretty good job painting Britain as she evolved over the ages. At under 500 pages (paperback) the picture felt largely complete, even though a lot of details were necessarily omitted. But, because this book is targeted towards laypeople interested in history, I would certainly consider it a success. It's not always gripping, and occasionally raised more questions than it answered, but still it does justice to a particularly relevant and complex subject.
March 24, 2023
I think the author should have used the word "counterscarp" more often, because seeing it multiple times on a page was not enough.
September 10, 2022
Really interesting bf history of Great Britain that looks at much larger trends that show that the current political changes, like brexit, are really just a continuation of a relationship with Europe that has lasted for at least the last eight thousand years
November 23, 2023
Long, but interesting. Shows how Britons have always thought of themselves as unique, and how that affected the Brexit decision.
July 5, 2022
Meh. I found his analysis repetitive and old-hat really. And I don't see how this book sheds any new light on Brexit either, or even on English history generally. You can get the same ideas in a tenth of the time by reading Penguin's Atlases of History.
August 2, 2022
A comprehensive history of the British Isles from the earliest times. I thoroughly enjoyed the history based on archaeological finds, but the recent political analysis was a bit thin and a misfit, I failed to understand the common thread of the book, the earlier chapters based on archaeological findings were expected but the recent political bits had little to do with geography.
January 21, 2024
I was almost predisposed to disliking this book from the title. Geographic determinism. Anglo-centric viewpoint. Written as a response to Brexit. So it is to my very pleasant surprise that this book ended up being the single best history of Britain I've ever read. Well-written, balanced, and extremely well researched. Highly recommend it -- I have put it on my must read book list.
To anyone trying to understand Britain's history, relationships with the world, identity, borders, and modern political debates (and anxieties) this is the perfect book. Exploring geography, government, technology, and culture the book's breadth is ambitious. But what makes it work is the succinct, almost poetic way that Ian Morris was able to capture large, complex historical topics. As any 10,000 year history will do -- there is some oversimplifications and omissions -- don't treat this as comprehensive by any means.
From the Roman conquest to English Reformation to the American Revolution to Pax Britannica to the World Wars to Brexit. This book focuses on the elements of history that helped form modern British identity, mobility, prosperity, security, and sovereignty. I learned from this book (and fell in love with this work) on so many occasions -- but I think it was Ian's strategic understanding of conflicts between Great Britain and France in the 1700s between pages 297 - 308 that made me realize that Ian Morris is the most talented historian I've ever had the pleasure of reading.
My only complaints are:
- Morris's pacing and level of depth was strongest when covering more distant past -- but as we approach the modern day things do feel a little more rushed, more broad stroke, and less unbiased. This begins from 1865 onwards.
- He uses the word "counterscarp" very frequently -- it's not a word I was very familiar with and I didn't think it's the best choice for what he was trying to say.
- The analysis of modern China and the prediction of Beijing's rise to dominant global power is a kind of brief tag-on opinion take rather then a well supported argument. But I'll reserve judgement on that until I've read his other book "Why the West Rules—for Now: The Patterns of History, and What They Reveal About the Future".
- The map he shares for the modern period completely omits South Asia, Latin America, SE Asia, and Africa narrowing in on financial centers (mountains of money) rather than on territory, resources & labour. Though it isn't necessarily his map but rather the Pentagon's so maybe it reflects American biases rather then his own thinking on the modern strategic landscape.
- At one point he visits Stoke-on-Trent and comes to the conclusion that it's not been "left-behind" at all. This also was a quick opinion take rather then a real analysis-argument.
- Fitting 10,000 years of history in one book was always going to mean leaving some things out. Would have loved to see expansions on so many topics, but understand given the scope that would likely be impossible in a single concise novel.
To anyone trying to understand Britain's history, relationships with the world, identity, borders, and modern political debates (and anxieties) this is the perfect book. Exploring geography, government, technology, and culture the book's breadth is ambitious. But what makes it work is the succinct, almost poetic way that Ian Morris was able to capture large, complex historical topics. As any 10,000 year history will do -- there is some oversimplifications and omissions -- don't treat this as comprehensive by any means.
From the Roman conquest to English Reformation to the American Revolution to Pax Britannica to the World Wars to Brexit. This book focuses on the elements of history that helped form modern British identity, mobility, prosperity, security, and sovereignty. I learned from this book (and fell in love with this work) on so many occasions -- but I think it was Ian's strategic understanding of conflicts between Great Britain and France in the 1700s between pages 297 - 308 that made me realize that Ian Morris is the most talented historian I've ever had the pleasure of reading.
My only complaints are:
- Morris's pacing and level of depth was strongest when covering more distant past -- but as we approach the modern day things do feel a little more rushed, more broad stroke, and less unbiased. This begins from 1865 onwards.
- He uses the word "counterscarp" very frequently -- it's not a word I was very familiar with and I didn't think it's the best choice for what he was trying to say.
- The analysis of modern China and the prediction of Beijing's rise to dominant global power is a kind of brief tag-on opinion take rather then a well supported argument. But I'll reserve judgement on that until I've read his other book "Why the West Rules—for Now: The Patterns of History, and What They Reveal About the Future".
- The map he shares for the modern period completely omits South Asia, Latin America, SE Asia, and Africa narrowing in on financial centers (mountains of money) rather than on territory, resources & labour. Though it isn't necessarily his map but rather the Pentagon's so maybe it reflects American biases rather then his own thinking on the modern strategic landscape.
- At one point he visits Stoke-on-Trent and comes to the conclusion that it's not been "left-behind" at all. This also was a quick opinion take rather then a real analysis-argument.
- Fitting 10,000 years of history in one book was always going to mean leaving some things out. Would have loved to see expansions on so many topics, but understand given the scope that would likely be impossible in a single concise novel.
October 25, 2022
I picked this up b/c I'm half English - which means Scottish, Welsh, Danish, Irish, so I feel on some level it's of interest, but sometimes I just like a good history. And this is good.
Dr. Morris frames English history as a product of it's geography, touching a bit on how the isles formed, were initially peopled, and how various Europeans migrated in and out of the isles, and the history of its relationship to continental Europe. He also analyzes the motivations of it's kings, queens and governments to use their understanding of that geography to their profit. In turns, England and its isles engage and withdraw from, the continent, and the world.
There is some analysis and speculation towards the end, of what Brexit means and how it's not exclusive to our time, and how it may have to mold to Chinese increasing engagement with the world. The analogy he uses is Zeno's dog, or puppy, hitched to a wagon of relatively inexorable motion. The dog has choices: it may try to wander off, may set its paws, or may happily trot along the wagon enjoying the scraps that fall from time to time. Britain is it's own dog for now, but Dr. Morris predicts the greater influence for the rest of the century will be China, but it will be wise to carefully consider where England will align in the future while it can choose.
Dr. Morris frames English history as a product of it's geography, touching a bit on how the isles formed, were initially peopled, and how various Europeans migrated in and out of the isles, and the history of its relationship to continental Europe. He also analyzes the motivations of it's kings, queens and governments to use their understanding of that geography to their profit. In turns, England and its isles engage and withdraw from, the continent, and the world.
There is some analysis and speculation towards the end, of what Brexit means and how it's not exclusive to our time, and how it may have to mold to Chinese increasing engagement with the world. The analogy he uses is Zeno's dog, or puppy, hitched to a wagon of relatively inexorable motion. The dog has choices: it may try to wander off, may set its paws, or may happily trot along the wagon enjoying the scraps that fall from time to time. Britain is it's own dog for now, but Dr. Morris predicts the greater influence for the rest of the century will be China, but it will be wise to carefully consider where England will align in the future while it can choose.
July 16, 2022
Morris has written an engaging long-term history of what we call the United Kingdom and its place in the world.
He says he did that because he had to tell all the old stories so that we could understand the story of Brexit. The recent referendum and follow-on departure certainly echo earlier instances of insularity in the British isles, but I'm not really convinced you need to read the whole thing to understand the current chaos.
The next-to-last chapter, Keep Calm and Carry On (1992-2013), is an engaging read just on the events that led directly to the referendum that forced the UK to Leave. It's good on its own. The very short chapter that follows it, Can't Go Home Again (2017), where Morris returns to his hometown of Stoke on Trent and hangs out with regular folks, is likewise thought-provoking.
But the professional historian and Stanford professor does a good job with the big topic. I'd read his earlier book, Why the West Rules -- For Now, some years ago, and very much enjoyed it. This one is better, I think. Both make the point that China is already a global force, and that this century will see a remaking of the world order to accommodate that country.
I hope that Morris will write about that, too, in the next decade or so.
He says he did that because he had to tell all the old stories so that we could understand the story of Brexit. The recent referendum and follow-on departure certainly echo earlier instances of insularity in the British isles, but I'm not really convinced you need to read the whole thing to understand the current chaos.
The next-to-last chapter, Keep Calm and Carry On (1992-2013), is an engaging read just on the events that led directly to the referendum that forced the UK to Leave. It's good on its own. The very short chapter that follows it, Can't Go Home Again (2017), where Morris returns to his hometown of Stoke on Trent and hangs out with regular folks, is likewise thought-provoking.
But the professional historian and Stanford professor does a good job with the big topic. I'd read his earlier book, Why the West Rules -- For Now, some years ago, and very much enjoyed it. This one is better, I think. Both make the point that China is already a global force, and that this century will see a remaking of the world order to accommodate that country.
I hope that Morris will write about that, too, in the next decade or so.
September 7, 2022
This is one of those books that when you finish, you’re not sure if you loved or hated it?
Ian Morris, through what he calls “deep history” (what I might call political geography), attempts to use 10,000 years of British (itself an ever-changing definition) history to explain the Brexit decision.
What I like: great writing, a sense of humor, attention to detail without getting bogged down in details, and an attempt to use his theoretical approach to explain so much history.
What I don’t like: the last point, which is that I think Morris has bitten off more than he can chew, and certainly digest. I kept thinking of Hari Seldon, the psychohistorian from the Foundation who purported to know how 1000 years of galactic history would unfold. Alas, poor Seldon and Morris overlook the element of uncertainty, unpredictability, and the human factor which almost always changes history. In the Foundation triology it’s the appearance of the “Mule”, a mutant character who completely alters the Seldon plan; with Morris, he at times acknowledges the “what if” questions, but then subsumes them into his analysis.
All that being said, I would still recommend reading this book if you are a fan of history, geography, and politics writ large.
Ian Morris, through what he calls “deep history” (what I might call political geography), attempts to use 10,000 years of British (itself an ever-changing definition) history to explain the Brexit decision.
What I like: great writing, a sense of humor, attention to detail without getting bogged down in details, and an attempt to use his theoretical approach to explain so much history.
What I don’t like: the last point, which is that I think Morris has bitten off more than he can chew, and certainly digest. I kept thinking of Hari Seldon, the psychohistorian from the Foundation who purported to know how 1000 years of galactic history would unfold. Alas, poor Seldon and Morris overlook the element of uncertainty, unpredictability, and the human factor which almost always changes history. In the Foundation triology it’s the appearance of the “Mule”, a mutant character who completely alters the Seldon plan; with Morris, he at times acknowledges the “what if” questions, but then subsumes them into his analysis.
All that being said, I would still recommend reading this book if you are a fan of history, geography, and politics writ large.
August 28, 2023
I found Morris thoroughly grating. The introduction's tone of "the only possible way to study anything is my preferred approach" (namely, you can't understand Brexit without examining the last 10,000 years of history) led me to plan to abandon the book altogether, but having run out of other reading material I grudgingly returned to it, though skipping the rest of the introduction. The geographical determinism promised by the title is in full force, with Morris presenting all of British history as a series of just-so stories about how things were always going to turn out as they did, with more uses of the word "counterscarp" than would be found in most well-stocked libraries. Despite its relentlessness, that thesis was mostly either banal or unconvincing. In the book's favor, there were lots of maps (though even those were somewhat contaminated by the central thesis in being invariably labelled as the "stage" for the action). Morris is apparently primarily an archaeologist—at least, he talks a lot about his various digs—and the evidence here I thought was relatively interesting to me, but it naturally fades out as other, historical evidence becomes available.
May 8, 2023
Very, very comprehensive book about the entire history of the British Isles. It really lives up to the title in how it starts in the Ice Age and goes into detail about how we know what we do about prehistory, before zooming into the Roman era, the Dark Ages, various conflicts between monarchs and then lingering on the empire and the turbulent post-WWII years. The book's subject matter is too broad to really describe any particular era in detail, which makes it bewildering when it shoots off too many names of places and people at the reader, but it ties it together into an overarching narrative where Britain is defined by a see-sawing strategy of being tied to mainland Europe vs. going it alone.
The speculations on the future really let it down, as the author covers way too many possibilities in order to ensure that he'll turn out right, which makes the predictions rather useless. However, there are a few trends that can be picked out - Northern Ireland and Scotland are no longer core territories for the UK and would easily break away, China is underrated as the next global superpower and despite any nationalist chestbeating, the UK is doomed to be an extension of America, an extension of China or an extension of a unified Europe. Because of this vagueness and a completely pointless appendix about Stoke-on-Trent, I had to take a star off.
The speculations on the future really let it down, as the author covers way too many possibilities in order to ensure that he'll turn out right, which makes the predictions rather useless. However, there are a few trends that can be picked out - Northern Ireland and Scotland are no longer core territories for the UK and would easily break away, China is underrated as the next global superpower and despite any nationalist chestbeating, the UK is doomed to be an extension of America, an extension of China or an extension of a unified Europe. Because of this vagueness and a completely pointless appendix about Stoke-on-Trent, I had to take a star off.
July 26, 2023
Geography is Destiny is a history of Britain vis-a-vis the surrounding areas. Morris takes the long view, showing how the island's identity has changed over the millennia as different conflicts, conquerings, and alliances have had their moment on the stage.
A lot of history is covered in this book. Throughout the focus is how the events of the day were affected by the planet's geography, and how England's perceived place on the world map changed. Though the "history" wasn't new to me, the perspective was.
I was particularly interested in the modern section, where I learned more about how the UK sees the United States. Once the ruler of the globe, Britain in the past 50 years has felt her sovereignty and independence compromised by American economic and political pressure. And now with Brexit the country has to navigate all by themselves - will they lean into America and the European Union, or feel their only choice is to embrace China's growing dominance?
3.75 stars rounded to a 4.
A lot of history is covered in this book. Throughout the focus is how the events of the day were affected by the planet's geography, and how England's perceived place on the world map changed. Though the "history" wasn't new to me, the perspective was.
I was particularly interested in the modern section, where I learned more about how the UK sees the United States. Once the ruler of the globe, Britain in the past 50 years has felt her sovereignty and independence compromised by American economic and political pressure. And now with Brexit the country has to navigate all by themselves - will they lean into America and the European Union, or feel their only choice is to embrace China's growing dominance?
3.75 stars rounded to a 4.
July 8, 2022
(3.5 stars) This work looks to distill English history into its place in Europe. In particular, he looked at a line from Margaret Thatcher, about how Britain is inextricably part of Europe and cannot be taken out of it, for Europe is where Britain is and where it has always been, and called it Thatcher’s law. Using that and dividing the book into 3 sections, based on three map projections showing Britain and its place in the world, Morris looks into Britain’s history, from prehistory to Brexit. You can’t encompass all of a nation’s history in one volume, but Morris uses just enough to help his argument.
Still, there is a lot of ground to cover and sometimes the author can’t quite keep it on track. There is much to learn, but I don’t think that Morris completely made a clear argument for defining Britain’s place in the world. Or, at least, this felt at times like a straight history and one that didn’t always link back to the original argument.
Still, there is a lot of ground to cover and sometimes the author can’t quite keep it on track. There is much to learn, but I don’t think that Morris completely made a clear argument for defining Britain’s place in the world. Or, at least, this felt at times like a straight history and one that didn’t always link back to the original argument.
March 10, 2024
Geography Is Destiny is a fascinating book, composed in the mode of deep millennia-long history that has become fashionable in recent decades. It explains how the leave/remain dynamic, as determined by Britain’s geographical position in relation to continental Europe, has reasserted itself in various guises throughout history. However, as the book goes on, it becomes packed with extraneous details, so that it all begins to feel like one thing after another. I get the sense at times that Ian Morris would be more comfortable as a cultural or political critic. As he describes the warm effulgent delights of British Christmas films or the latest fashion trends that broke upon the country, he really seems to come alive as a writer. A more focused book with a somewhat clearer thesis might have been appreciated.
August 2, 2022
(No audio version in Goodreads yet.) Morris has a fairly interesting way of looking at the island nation that is Great Britain over the course of its lengthy run as a major world power until lately. He sounds to be somewhat anti-Brexit, but at the same time seems to understand what has driven the Brits to that point. Whether Britain intends to serve as the bridge to Europe for either America or the Russians seems to be part of that equation. Personally, I think there are two books here - one the ancient history of the island and the other the more modern (19th-21st centuries?) story of Great Britain.
February 11, 2024
The title is somewhat misdirected. The thesis is that England's geography explains its history. The author then catalogs 10,000 years of human activity in a thoughtful and thought-provoking way. The book is interesting but it seemed to meander by times - at least it meandered from its thesis. It is as though the editors asked for an attention grabbing title and this was the best available even if loosely connected to the content. For those fascinated by the rise (and relative decline) of the historical influence of the peoples of the British Isles, you should find this an entertaining survey.
September 24, 2022
Particularly noteworthy dive into the history of great Britain, which after watching an hour long youtube video on the "History of Russia" I became generally enthusiastic about histories of big empires from early human periods (early iron age foundations) until present times. The amount of research Morris did for the novel is quite remarkable from ancestral anecdotes dating back millennia and those of neighboring countries who also played an integral role in the creation of what we know call the British Isles. Very cool read, highly recommended!
September 27, 2022
While the book was fairly long (I would have preferred the first 300 pages to be condensed to 150 pages), the last 200 pages were fascinating in helping understand how the geography of the country has impacted its history through key drivers like mobility, sovereignty, identity, security and prosperity. The analysis close to the end of the book provides an explanation of why Brexit actually happened.
September 30, 2022
Well written. Interesting how the idea of "counterscarps" as defense against invasion created the security reality of England across the millennia. Also interesting that the commerce from the new world built up the middle class enough in a England to shift the balance of power enough to the parliament whereas other European powers extracting gold and silver just strengthened the king at the expense of the parliament.
December 11, 2023
3.5
A satisfying read but nothing to bowl the reader over here. At times, the author was able on integrate interesting events or perspectives into the general thesis but in the end, the overall argument was lacking.
The first part was most interesting & convincing to me which suggests the aim to explain Brexit failed to be fulfilled.
Morris takes a long duree lens to England’s relationship with Europe & not, as is mentioned several times in the introduction, a Big History perspective.
A satisfying read but nothing to bowl the reader over here. At times, the author was able on integrate interesting events or perspectives into the general thesis but in the end, the overall argument was lacking.
The first part was most interesting & convincing to me which suggests the aim to explain Brexit failed to be fulfilled.
Morris takes a long duree lens to England’s relationship with Europe & not, as is mentioned several times in the introduction, a Big History perspective.
February 8, 2023
Lots of Information about Britain
It is a very long book about a lot of famous events in British history and how geography influenced people. I learned about how Britain was part of globalization. They traveled to many places and affected many people.
It is a very long book about a lot of famous events in British history and how geography influenced people. I learned about how Britain was part of globalization. They traveled to many places and affected many people.
August 7, 2022
Breezy and interesting. Can't think of any flaws that matter much.
August 9, 2022
Solid book. Really enjoyed learning about the more obscure parts of UK history. Provided an interesting thesis on how Brexit fits into UK history.
Another good book from Morris
Another good book from Morris
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