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1.The Ends of the Earth: From Togo to Turkmenistan, from Iran to Cambodia, a Journey to the Frontiers of Anarchy by: Robert D. Kaplan January 28, 1997
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In this book, written some 15 years ago as huge parts of the world were coming out of decades of communism, US journalist Kaplan tells of his travels to some of the more troubled spots in the world: West Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, Indochina. His thesis is that huge parts of the world are going through a period of anarchy, or, to put it in another words, they are going to hell. The chapters about Iran and Turkey are surprisingly good (Kaplan bothered himself into learning about the history and politics of these places before going there, and his impressions are reasoned and intelligent); the material about Central Asia is by comparison, extremely poor (he doesn't seem to say there anything except that these countries reeks). The other countries covered are in between in terms of ... Read More

2.Balkan Ghosts: A Journey Through History by: Robert D. Kaplan April 14, 2005
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Robert Kaplan's Balkan Ghosts is more than a travel book for most of his experiences in the Balkan's were far from tourism. Rather, like Rebecca West's Black Lamb and Grey Falcon, his book explores time and place with the precision of an anthropologist. Kaplan points out that this area of the world seems to have a talent for starting wars and once was called `ethnic trash' by Karl Marx. Serbia is the area where Habsburg Archduke, Franz Ferdinand, was assassinated, an event that sparked World War I. From here come the 20th century's first terrorists. Kaplan points out that the Balkans are not just the area where Communism meets capitalism. It is also the place where Roman Catholic meets Eastern Orthodox, where Christian meets Islam, where Rome meets Constantinople, where Habsburg Austria ... Read More

3.Imperial Grunts: The American Military on the Ground by: Robert D. Kaplan September 13, 2005
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A central thesis of Kaplan's book is that the U.S. is now an empire with global reach. I just don't agree with his premise. If we are an empire, we're pretty bad at it. What is true is that the U.S. military has succumbed to "mission creep" with little or no public debate. Why are we training troops in places like Chad or Algeria ? Kaplan is fulsome in his praise of the ground-level troopers, and they deserve it for their dedication and resourcefulness. But it must be admitted that these qualities are often put to use in the service of missions of dubious strategic value.

4.The Coming Anarchy: Shattering the Dreams of the Post Cold War by: Robert D. Kaplan February 13, 2001
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Few books will set the hair on fire and make us stand to attention as will this book. In very much the same vein as Amy Chua's "The World on Fire," Kaplan too has seen the future: and it is dark and does not work. Having traveled across Africa myself, I can attest first hand to the fact that much of what he says is not hyperbole but is the "cold-blooded truth." As but one example, when I returned to Bamako Mali, for about the fifth time (one of the more stable African countries by the way), I sought out the Artisans who made the many famous and familiar wooden Dogon artifacts: They had been mostly men in their 20-40s; on my last trip, they all were gone: Lost to AIDS; gone too were most of the skills handed-down for centuries that produced this art. Soon, most African handicrafts will have to be purchased from China, ... Read More

5.Warrior Politics: Why Leadership Demands a Pagan Ethos by: Robert D. Kaplan January 07, 2003
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I read Mr. Kaplan's book in 2004 on a flight to the west coast---then turned to the first page and re-read on the return flight---it's that good. Mr. Kaplan takes a realistic view of the world as it is, using history as a guide. This book would be ideal for someone new to strategy (strateegery) or an old hand. The author connects the dots and makes clear that we should pay more attention to what other world actors do, than what they say. Highly recommended.

6.Eastward to Tartary: Travels in the Balkans, the Middle East, and the Caucasus by: Robert D. Kaplan 2001-10
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I thought this book was written beautifully and I can see why Kaplan has such a large following. However, like other reviewers, I found his opinions on politics rather excessive. He seems to think that "one size fits all" and perhaps misunderstands that the American way is not the way for everyone else. The travelling and the characters are all excellantly described, but I think he focussed too much on his own political analysis. Also as an avid reader, I thought it profoundly odd when he (himself a journalist) critised members of the Azerbejani press as "impolite" for asking difficult questions to the authorities. I think that this has validified other writers opinions that I have read on the American media, claiming that large sections of the "liberal" press are becoming mute and embedded with the powers that be, gaining "access" which is ... Read More

7.Soldiers of God: With Islamic Warriors in Afghanistan and Pakistan by: Robert D. Kaplan November 27, 2001
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I developed quite a dislike for Kaplan as I read this book, but the subject matter was sufficiently fascinating to help me forgive his not-entirely-subtle dislike of Asians. This book provides an on the ground view of the Soviet Invasion and subsequent chaos. The glimpses of Afghani society, although mostly confined to men involved in war, and the physical descriptions of Afghanistan's landscape were captivating. Kaplan seems quite enamored of the Pashtun culture, especially in comparison to Pakistan, which is portrayed unflatteringly but not entirely unfairly as a potential terrorist breeding ground. He seems to see himself as a brave, hugely suffering war reporter, although the most extreme suffering he appears to undergo is occasional separation from soft drinks. Obviously my disinclination for the author colored my view of the book, but I feel it was worthwhile ... Read More

8.Hog Pilots, Blue Water Grunts: The American Military in the Air, at Sea, and on the Ground by: Robert D. Kaplan September 04, 2007
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Compared to his earlier book, The Imperial Grunts, this one is not as good but it enhanced my view of the US Military much more than the "Imperial Grunts" since that book was mostly written about the ground forces deployed around the world. This one is about the naval, air forces and ground forces altogether but its emphasis is more on Air Force and Navy. It's a very informative book on the status of the US military and its future. Robert D. Kaplan is an able author with tons of knowledge about the past and he wonderfully mixes the past with present and then predicts the future to the best of his ability. I recommend his books to the military and political enthusiasts.

9.The Secret Agent: A Simple Tale (Modern Library Classics) by: Joseph Conrad December 14, 2004
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The hazards of following a reviewer's suggestions are compounded if you and the reviewer don't share similar tastes. So it was with my purchase of this book based upon an article about classic spy novels I read in the WSJ. It is true that Conrad's book is a classic and it is about a "secret agent", and I wasn't expecting a LeCarre or Fleming sort of read, but I found it plodding and somewhat dull. I was intrigued by the fact that English was not Conrad's first language and by how well he had assimilated the language and culture. I finished the book but it felt like an assignment for school.

10.Surrender or Starve: Travels in Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia, and Eritrea by: Robert D. Kaplan November 11, 2003
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Surrender or Starve is a solid book that deserves reading, especially if you knew nothing of the Ethiopian/Eritrean conflict. When I was young, I distinctly recall images of the famine in Ethiopia, calls to action from within the United States but, like Kaplan emphasizes, the West did not appreciate the true root cause of these problems: ethnic conflict. At the very least, I was ignorant of these factors. Kaplan made me investigate deeper and in doing so, I found a lot of interesting material on the Internet. One mild example of the two countries animosity of one another was found when I was looking for a good Ethiopian or Eritrean restaurant in NYC. I found one, incidentally, and the food is different but good--first time for Ethiopian for me. At any rate, a listing of Eritrean restaurants on an Eritrean-American website showed several but apparently 2-3 were "bought ... Read More

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