The Tragedy of Great Power Politics
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Narrated by:
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Mark Ashby
About this listen
A decade after the cold war ended, policy makers and academics foresaw a new era of peace and prosperity, an era in which democracy and open trade would herald the "end of history." The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, sadly shattered these idyllic illusions, and John Mearsheimer's masterful new book explains why these harmonious visions remain utopian.
To Mearsheimer, great power politics are tragic because the anarchy of the international system requires states to seek dominance at one another's expense, dooming even peaceful nations to a relentless power struggle. Mearsheimer illuminates his theory of offensive realism through a sweeping survey of modern great power struggles and reflects on the bleak prospects for peace in Europe and northeast Asia, arguing that the United States's security competition with a rising China will intensify regardless of "engagement" policies.
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- War, Strategy, and American Interests in the Twenty-First Century
- By: Robert D. Kaplan
- Narrated by: Eric Jason Martin
- Length: 9 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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Drawing on decades of firsthand experience as a foreign correspondent and military embed for The Atlantic, as well as encounters with preeminent realist thinkers, Kaplan outlines the timeless principles that should shape America's role in a turbulent world: a respect for the limits of Western-style democracy; a delineation between American interests and American values; an awareness of the psychological toll of warfare; a projection of power via a strong navy; and more.
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Essays on the Region of the Silk Road
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The Peloponnesian War
- A Captivating Guide to the Ancient Greek War Between the Two Leading City-States in Ancient Greece: Athens and Sparta
- By: Captivating Captivating History
- Narrated by: Colin Fluxman
- Length: 3 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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If you want to discover the captivating history of the Peloponnesian War, then pay attention. The Peloponnesian War enveloped the entire Greek world, from Syracuse on the island of Sicily to the shores of western Turkey. It ravaged the Greek population and produced great hardships, and it led to the eventual downfall of the Athenian Empire and the rise of the Spartan Empire.
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factually incorrect
- By Maarten-Jan on 12-24-22
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On China
- By: Henry Kissinger
- Narrated by: Nicholas Hormann
- Length: 20 hrs and 10 mins
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In this sweeping and insightful history, Henry Kissinger turns for the first time at book length to a country he has known intimately for decades and whose modern relations with the West he helped shape. On China illuminates the inner workings of Chinese diplomacy during such pivotal events as the initial encounters between China and tight line modern European powers, the formation and breakdown of the Sino-Soviet alliance, the Korean War, and Richard Nixon’s historic trip to Beijing.
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Another History of China
- By Elton on 09-23-11
By: Henry Kissinger
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Everything Under the Heavens
- How the Past Helps Shape China's Push for Global Power
- By: Howard W. French
- Narrated by: Nicholas Hormann
- Length: 11 hrs and 56 mins
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For many years after its reform and opening in 1978, China maintained an attitude of false modesty about its ambitions. That role, reports Howard French, has been set aside. China has asserted its place among the global heavyweights, revealing its plans for pan-Asian dominance by building its navy, increasing territorial claims to areas like the South China Sea, and diplomatically bullying smaller players.
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Unique Concept
- By John on 02-24-20
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The Cold War
- A World History
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- Length: 22 hrs and 44 mins
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In The Cold War, Odd Arne Westad offers a new perspective on a century when a superpower rivalry and an ideological war transformed every corner of our globe. We traditionally think of the Cold War as a post-World War II diplomatic and military conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union. But in this major new work, Westad argues that the conflict must be understood as a global ideological confrontation with roots in the industrial revolution and with continuing implications for the world today.
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A lenghy treatise on the Cold War
- By Donald Hill on 11-21-17
By: Odd Arne Westad
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Losing Military Supremacy
- The Myopia of American Strategic Planning
- By: Andrei Martyanov
- Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki
- Length: 8 hrs and 28 mins
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This book explores the dramatic difference between the Russian and US approach to warfare, which manifests itself across the whole spectrum of activities from art and the economy to the respective national cultures; illustrates the fact that Russian economic, military, and cultural realities and power are no longer what American "elites" think they are by addressing Russia's new and elevated capacities in the areas of traditional warfare, as well as cyberwarfare and space; and studies several ways in-depth in which the US can simply stumble into conflict with Russia and what must be done to avoid it.
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Mixes Truth with Propoganda
- By Gavin on 02-08-21
By: Andrei Martyanov
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Spartans: A Captivating Guide to the Fierce Warriors of Ancient Greece, Including Spartan Military Tactics, the Battle of Thermopylae, How Sparta Was Ruled, and More
- By: Captivating History
- Narrated by: Richard L Walton
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If you want to discover the captivating history of Sparta, then pay attention...Sparta is one of the first names that comes to mind when we think about the ancient world. And this is for good reason. After its founding sometime in the 10th century BCE, Sparta soon rose to be one of the most powerful city-states in not only the Greek but the entire ancient world.
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This is Sparta!!!!!!!! and everything else too.
- By Brian VonFeldt on 05-28-21
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World Order
- By: Henry Kissinger
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Henry Kissinger offers in World Order a deep meditation on the roots of international harmony and global disorder. Drawing on his experience as one of the foremost statesmen of the modern era Kissinger now reveals his analysis of the ultimate challenge for the 21st century: How to build a shared international order in a world of divergent historical perspectives, violent conflict, proliferating technology, and ideological extremism.
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More retrospective than future oriented
- By Scott on 10-23-14
By: Henry Kissinger
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What listeners say about The Tragedy of Great Power Politics
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- Mike
- 08-06-18
Not dated at all
I was originally worried that the analysis wouldn't stand the test of time before starting the book. It's still relevant and has aged well
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3 people found this helpful
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- Egregious Engineer
- 08-17-23
Superb analysis and organization
Mearsheimer not only provides theory but buttresses his approach with significant and comprehensive Examples where his analysis reflects the reality. Truly a wonderful resource and narrative. Definitely five stars.
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- Lunacornea
- 01-09-24
A must read for anyone wanting to understand geopolitics
The predictions of the future between the US and China are the most salient points
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- Amazon Customer
- 08-28-22
A little out dated. Somewhat repetitive.
To be fair, this is an analysis of geopolitics. It's more like a collage course i.e. Geopolitical events in the 90s and early 2000s 101. I think there is more current and relevant information out there.
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- A. M.
- 05-30-20
Realpolitik: refreshing in its honesty
I read Mearsheimer's "The Great Delusion" which is why I read this one second. I found the Great Delusion to be refreshingly clear-eyed and informative. The Tragedy of Great Power Politics is, however, an effort to simplify great power actions by their set-pieces as if each move leads to another. It's good knowledge to have although not surprising.
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- Gavin Klug
- 07-20-22
Very informative.
I appreciate the authors sober analysis of geopolitics. A great read, I would reccomend this book.
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- Logical Paradox
- 08-19-14
Exceptional
Measheimer does what few others are in able or willing to do: to approach geopolitics from a rigorous theoretical perspective, to take a rational, sober view of the world using rigorous methodology and both basing and assessing theory in comparison to the broad range of historical case studies.
In this work, Measheimer lays out in detail the theory of "offensive realism", a neo-realist school distinct from its sibling defensive realism, but also distinct from classical realism. The greatest contrast, of course, is with liberalism, which in the context of foreign relations means that realism is a materialist paradigm that sees politics as being shaped by geography, economics, and power relationships, with offensive realism having the specific prescripts about the nature of the dynamics behind the picture.
For example, offensive realism envisions states as sociopolitical entities whose primary goal is to survive, and because the need for survival quickly brings into view some obvious security dilemmas (states can't be certain of the intentions of others states, therefore they prepare for war and likewise see the preparations and capabilities of other states as potentially threatening to their existence) states will seek to maximize their relative power.
Whether that view is cynical or astute depends on your own biases, but I found Measheimer's arguments well founded and well supported, with a rich analysis and historical backdrop that will make the work entertaining even if one doesn't accept his theory in whole. Indeed, while I think offensive realism has real merit as a theory for understanding international politics, I also think it omits some key factors, such as human psychology and moral influence (moral in the sense Sun Tzu meant the word, not simply in terms of right and wrong).
For me, I think Measheimer captures the essence of a very real pattern underlying geopolitical logic, but that this could only be one of multiple dimension in a more complex multi-stable picture. In any case, this book is meaty, well written, and well structured.
The narration is also quite good.
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9 people found this helpful
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- Sam
- 02-28-16
Informative, yet repetitive
Mearsheimer's description of offensive realism and its ramifications remains thoroughly convincing, even if his central point is clinched early in the book. The majority of the book is dedicated to presenting modern history through a realist lens. His goal is to illustrate that throughout modern history state's interactions are largely consistent with the predictions of offensive realism. He does this convincingly.
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- Garcia Guillermo Jose
- 09-23-17
Good
Well written, nicely read a bit repetitive as is usually the costume in this kind of subject.
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- John
- 01-14-23
Read the Wikipedia page
Interesting topic which I don’t believe takes well to an audio format. Mark Ashby, while not terrible, is not able to elevate this written content to an interesting audio experience.
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