Prisoners of Geography by Tim Marshall

Prisoners of Geography helps kids understand how natural features shape history and economics.

Prisoners of Geography: Our World Explained in 12 Simple Maps by Tim Marshall, illustrated by Grace Easton and Jessica Smith. The Experiment, 2021, 77 pages.

Reading Level: Picture Book, ages 4-8

Recommended for: ages 6-12

Geography and Destiny

Prisoners of Geography: 10 Maps That Explain Everything about Our World was the modest title of Tim Marshall’s first book about geography for adults, published in 2015. (They didn’t explain everything, as it turns out, because he went on to write three more “Politics of Place” books on a similar theme.) Prisoners was a huge best-seller. Though more recent events have dated it a bit, it’s well worth a read for getting a handle on how geography shapes destiny. Why is North America much more prosperous than South America? Why has Africa had such a troubled history? What difference does a river make, and what kind of river makes a difference?

This edition for young readers includes the basic information with colorful, illustrated maps to make it more understandable. The 12 maps are Canada, the USA, Latin America, Africa, The Middle East, Europe, China, India/Pakistan, Korea/Japan, Russia, Australia, and the Arctic. This covers almost the entire globe. Regions are included not only for their size but for their significance in history and geopolitics—that’s why the Arctic is included but not Antarctica, Japan but not the Philippines. Each region gets 4-8 pages, including a double-page map, a brief history, and special geographical features.

Does It Explain Everything?

Geography has a lot to do with why some nations prosper and others not. But other factors can break that “prison,” such as religion and culture. These get little attention. Overall, though, Prisoners of Geography is a useful survey of lands and peoples that will help to provide a background to events taking place in the world, now and in the future.

Consideration:

• The author takes an evolutionary view of how landmasses formed and when their populations appeared.

Overall Rating: 4 (out of 5)

• Worldview/moral value: 3.5
• Artistic/literary value: 4.5

Read more about our ratings here.                 

Also at Redeemed Reader:

• Reviews: See our reviews of Maps (another big-picture oversize view of the world) and Children’s Atlas of God’s World, as well as Betsy’s Atlas recommendations.
• Reviews: Two great books about world populations: *If the World Were 100 People and We Are a Garden.
• Reflection: with tragedies unfolding in Ukraine and other places, see Megan’s mediation, “How long O Lord?”

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