Balkan Ghosts: A Journey Through History is a travelogue and historical analysis by Robert D. Kaplan, published in 1993. The book provides a detailed exploration of the Balkans, delving into the region's complex ethnic and political dynamics. Kaplan's work is noted for its influence on policymakers, including its impact on U.S. policy during the Yugoslav Wars. The book combines personal travel experiences with historical insights, offering a nuanced understanding of the region's tumultuous past and present.
In "Wasteland: A World in Permanent Crisis," Robert D. Kaplan delivers a stark assessment of the current global order. He examines the rise of instability, the erosion of traditional power structures, and the challenges facing the international community. Kaplan's analysis is grounded in his extensive travels and firsthand observations, offering a unique perspective on the complex geopolitical landscape. He explores the interplay of economic, social, and environmental factors contributing to global instability. The book serves as a wake-up call, urging readers to confront the realities of a world grappling with unprecedented challenges.
The book, expanded from Kaplan's 1994 article in The Atlantic Monthly, argues that the period of the Cold War was an unusually stable and peaceful time in world history. Kaplan forecasts that the future will be marked by increasing urban crime, lawlessness, environmental destruction, disease, hunger, and war. He suggests that traditional political borders will become less relevant as power becomes more localized and identities are redefined along cultural or tribal lines. The book also discusses the importance of addressing the causes of these problems rather than just their consequences and advocates for a new kind of cartography that reflects the evolving nature of global conflicts and identities.
In this book, Robert D. Kaplan builds on the insights of great geographers and geopolitical thinkers to examine the history of the world’s hot spots and predict future conflicts. He traces the impact of climates, topographies, and proximities to other embattled lands on global events. Kaplan applies these lessons to current crises in Europe, Russia, China, the Indian subcontinent, Turkey, Iran, and the Arab Middle East, highlighting how geography shapes international relations and conflicts.
We are entering a new era of global instability. The world is facing an era of war, climate change, great power rivalry and unprecedented technological advancement. In April 2025, geopolitical expert and bestselling author Robert Kaplan came to Intelligence Squared to analyse where the world is heading in 2025 and beyond. Drawing from the themes of his new book Waste Land, he argued that history can help guide us through a world that is changing at an unprecedented pace.
Kaplan drew comparisons between today’s challenges and the Weimar Republic, the post-World War I democratic German government that arguably paved the way for Nazism in the 1930s. Just as in Weimar, which faced crises inextricably bound up with global systems, the singular dilemmas of the twenty-first century—pandemic disease, recession, mass migration, the destabilizing effects of large-scale democracy and great power conflicts, and the intimate bonds created by technology—mean that every national disaster has the potential to become a global crisis, too. According to Kaplan, solutions lie in prioritising order in governing systems, and he will argue that stability and historic liberalism rather than mass democracy will save global populations from a chaotic future.
----
This is the first instalment of a two-part episode. If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full ad free conversations, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more.
For £4.99 per month you'll also receive:
- Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts
- Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series
- 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events
...
Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99:
- Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts
- Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series
…
Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content and early access.
…
Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more.
https://www.intelligencesquared.com/newsletter-signup/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Intelligence Squared 
