Robert Kaplan's "The Arabists" delves into the lives and experiences of American diplomats and intelligence officers who have served in the Arab world. The book offers a nuanced perspective on the complexities of US relations with Arab countries, highlighting the challenges of cultural understanding, political maneuvering, and the human cost of foreign policy decisions. Kaplan's immersive reporting style provides a vivid portrayal of the individuals who have shaped US policy in the region, their motivations, and their impact on the course of history. The book's insights into the intricacies of US-Arab relations continue to resonate with readers and scholars alike, offering valuable context for understanding ongoing geopolitical tensions.
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.
The Gulag Archipelago is a three-volume series written by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, exploring the Soviet labour camp system through a mix of historical narrative, personal accounts, and literary investigation. The book traces the history of the Gulag from Vladimir Lenin's decrees to the era of Nikita Khrushchev, detailing the arrest, conviction, transport, and imprisonment of prisoners. It includes Solzhenitsyn's own experiences as a Gulag prisoner and accounts from other inmates, highlighting the brutal conditions, forced labor, and the psychological and physical suffering of the prisoners. The work is a testament to the human spirit's struggle against evil and serves as a comprehensive critique of the Soviet regime's use of terror against its population[2][5][3].
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.
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.
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn's "The Red Wheel" is an epic multi-volume historical novel series that chronicles the Russian Revolution and its aftermath. It delves into the political and social upheavals of the time, exploring the lives of various characters caught in the maelstrom of change. The series is known for its detailed historical accuracy and its unflinching portrayal of the violence and brutality of the era. Solzhenitsyn's personal experiences in the Soviet gulag system heavily influenced the work, lending it a powerful authenticity. The series is a monumental achievement in historical fiction, offering a complex and nuanced perspective on a pivotal moment in history. It remains a significant work in understanding the complexities of the Russian Revolution and its lasting impact.
Disorder is a show where we look for historical parallels to better understand our current age of Global Enduring Disorder… It is also a show where once and a while we stumble across novel and yet explanatory parallels like the idea that the problems of Weimar Germany have gone global and sometimes we even get to interview world famous scholars who have come up with these novel parallels and have brilliantly extracted useful kernels about the interconnectivity of different crises, especially as pertains to institutional weakness, deliberate disorderers, and the rise of populist would-be strong men.
Today, Jason Pack is joined by Robert Kaplan: a New York Times bestselling author whose famous books Balkan Ghosts, the Coming Anarchy, the Arabists, and The Revenge of Geography have been extremely influential in developing the concept of the Enduring Disorder. As part of our partnership with the New Books Network, we discuss his latest book, Waste Land: A World in Permanent Crisis.
Robert and Jason discuss the rise of populism, the impact of globalization, and the decline of institutions and leadership. Plus: the significance of constitutional monarchy and the current decline of the major global powers. And as they Order the Disorder – they look at how the failure of the neo-populists will hopefully lead to more trust in experts, and how the Weimar republic can teach us lessons.
Quote of the episode ‘The more abject the disorder, often the more extreme the tyranny to follow, and that brings us to Weimar’s last chapter’
Producer: George McDonagh
Disorder is also now part of the Evergreen Network! For more visit https://evergreenpodcasts.com/disorder
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Show Notes Links:
For more on the New Books Network visit https://newbooksnetwork.com/category/up-partners/disorder
For more on Robert visit https://robertdkaplan.com/
Get Robert’s book, Waste Land: A World in Permanent Crisis https://www.amazon.com/Waste-Land-World-Permanent-Crisis-ebook/dp/B0D2W1B519/
Listen to Ep3. The Rise of the Neo-Populists https://pod.link/1706818264/episode/0c55bf63f1175d94d6a508eb72e8a84f
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Disorder 
