Understanding Geography and War Misperceptions, Foundations, and Pro
By delving into the history of geopolitics and bringing us up to date with cutting-edge case studies looking at infrastructure, terrain, and maps, this book will dispel simplistic and misleading notions about the nature of how humans interact with the env
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Understanding Geography and War
Steve Pickering
Understanding Geography and War Misperceptions, Foundations, and Prospects
Steve Pickering Department of Politics Brunel University London London
ISBN 978-1-137-52216-0 ISBN 978-1-137-52217-7 (eBook) DOI 10.1057/978-1-137-52217-7 Library of Congress Control Number: 2016956815 © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2017 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are solely and exclusively licensed by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. Cover illustration: © Japan Art Collection (JAC) / Alamy Printed on acid-free paper This Palgrave Macmillan imprint is published by Springer Nature The registered company is Nature America Inc. The registered company address is: 1 New York Plaza, New York, NY 10004, U.S.A.
To my family: to my wonderful wife, Yin-Hsiu; to our fantastic son, David; and to the memory of my parents, David and Mary
PREFACE
ON GEOGRAPHERS, POLITICAL SCIENTISTS, AND WAR While political geographers read, absorb, and use the theories, methods, and perspectives of political scientists, the reverse is not true. – (O’Loughlin 2000, 126)
In just a few words, O’Loughlin sums up the purpose of this book. Political scientists spend a lot of time looking at war and human conflict. In trying to understand them, they sometimes try to bring geography into their frameworks. Yet they almost never apply actual geographical theory, or engage with the debates central to geography (Fig. 0.1). In so doing, they reach dangerous conclusions. Geographers themselves are the products of a very different discipline. Methodologically rigorous, geography students are instructed in research methods from the start of their undergraduate days, because without these methods, the discipline is not a discipline at all; it becomes as methodologically weak as, well, international relations (IRs). Geographers are keenly aware of the dark history of their discipline and indeed the subject goes through periodic existential crises as it
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