Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Book Preview: #1 Russia is vast, and its leaders must consider the implications of its vast size. The North European Plain running from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Carpathian Mountains in the south is only 300 miles wide, but it stretches from western France to northern Germany. #2 The Russian Far East is protected by geography. It is difficult to move an army from Asia up...

All leaders are constrained by geography. Their choices are limited by mountains, rivers, seas and concrete. Yes, to understand world events you need to understand people, ideas and movements - but if you don't know geography, you'll never have the full picture. To understand Putin's actions, for example, it is essential to consider that, to be a world power, Russia must have a navy. And if its ports freeze for six months each year then it must have...