The Revenge Of Geography: Monsoon By Robert D Kaplan

Introduction. The book written by Robert D Kaplan is an unproclaimed sequel to the much acclaimed books by him titled ‘Monsoon’ (2010) and ‘The Revenge of Geography” (2012). Like his earlier books, this too has a powerful thesis and gives an authoritative account on Asia`s Security Situation especially the South China Seas, China and the ASEAN nations. The clarity and brevity in articulating this complex subject in a simple manner is the highlight of the book. The author starts the narrative in a modest manner highlighting economics, geography and historical underpinnings in this culturally rich area. The importance of the seas, trade, commerce and globalized economies of the region are interwoven into the narrative to make it a worthy read.

2. The Book. South China Seas and the choke points in Indian Ocean viz Malacca, Sunda and

The book elucidates China’s position vis-à-vis the South China Sea and the ASEAN countries. The rise of China is compared to the United States position and consolidation in the Caribbean Sea as it rose to a super power in the early twentieth century. The parallel drawn by the author is quite straightforward and convincing. Between 1898 and 1914, the United States defeated Spain and dug the Panama Canal. This allowed Americans to link and dominate the trade of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and gave them effective control of the Western Hemisphere, which allowed it to affect the balance of power in the Eastern Hemisphere. In a rather similar way, the South China Sea, linking the trade between the Pacific and Indian Oceans, would open up geostrategic possibilities for China. Hence, it would be the most contested body of