Geopolitics Books
Westlessness: The Great Global Rebalancing
Iran. Greenland. Ukraine. Global politics as we know it has been challenged beyond measure in recent times.
Westlessness by former UK diplomat Dr Samir Puri is here to help make sense of these continual, seismic shifts to the world order. In this book, he vividly demonstrates how in demographic, economic, military and cultural terms, we are hurtling towards an unprecedented global future. Many of our certainties about the present, built on centuries of massive Western global impact, are increasingly fragile.
Untold wealth is moving from the West to the East but will the Western world, under the aegis of US global military, economic, technological and cultural power, give up its privileged position willingly? Nothing is linear and nothing is predictable. Are we prepared, personally and professionally, for a far more diverse global future? Prepared or unprepared, Westlessness is essential reading for us all.
Available in Hardback, Kindle, Export Paperback and Audiobook.
Russia’s Road to War with Ukraine
When Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine on 24 February 2022, many in the West were left stunned at his act of brutal imperialism. To those who had been paying attention, however, the warning signs of the bloodshed and slaughter to come had been there for years.
Tracing the relationship between the two countries from the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991 to Putin’s invasion in 2022, what emerges from this gripping and accessible book is a portrait of a nation caught in a geopolitical tug of war between Russia and the West. While Russia is identified as the sole aggressor, we see how Western bodies such as the EU and NATO unrealistically raised Ukraine’s expectations of membership before dashing them, leaving Ukraine without formal allies and fatally exposed to Russian aggression.
As a former international observer, Samir Puri was present for several of the major events covered in this book. He uses this experience to ask honestly: how did we get here? Why does Vladimir Putin view Ukraine as the natural property of Russia? Did the West handle its dealings with these countries prudently? Or did it inflame the tensions left amidst the ruins of the Soviet Union? Were there any missed opportunities to avert the war? And how might this conflict end?
The Great Imperial Hangover
A groundbreaking book that explains how the world's history of empires still shapes our lives and politics today.
For the first time in millennia we live without formal empires. But that doesn’t mean we don’t feel their presence rumbling through history. The Great Imperial Hangover / The Shadows Of Empire (USA) examines how the world’s imperial legacies are still shaping the thorniest issues we face today.
From Russia’s incursions in Ukraine to Brexit; from Trump’s ‘America-first’ policy to China’s forays into Africa; from Modi’s India to the hotbed of the Middle East, Puri provides a bold new framework for understanding the world’s complex rivalries and politics.
Organised by region, and covering vital topics such as security, foreign policy, national politics and commerce, The Great Imperial Hangover / The Shadows Of Empire (USA) combines gripping history and astute analysis to explain why the history of empire affects us all in profound ways.
‘We only have two tools in dealing with terrorism – fighting and talking – and Samir Puri’s insightful book analyses the interaction between the two in conflicts from Northern Ireland to Colombia in a way that will help policymakers understand better how to manage both.’
Jonathan Powell, Chief of Staff to UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, 1997–2007
‘A great tool for policymakers, in the quest for a peaceful and prosperous world. The cases described show how military strength, patience, flexibility, and political will should be sequenced and balanced to guarantee sustainable progress.’
Diana Quintero, Vice Minister of Defence for Strategy and Planning, Colombia, 2011–15
‘This study highlights the most difficult aspect of intra-state conflict: the dilemma of coercion and peace-talk. Those who seek a peaceful solution to any conflict could learn from its findings.’
Rizal Sukma, Ambassador of Indonesia to the UK
‘With a series of impressive case studies, Samir Puri provides a systematic and sobering analysis of the problems of sustaining a political track with violent non-state actors.’
Lawrence Freedman, Emeritus Professor of War Studies, King’s College London