The Loom of Time: Between Empire and Anarchy, from the Mediterranean to China

(Hardback)

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A stunning exploration of the Greater Middle East, where lasting stability has often seemed just out of reach but may hold the key to the shifting world order of the twenty-first century The Greater Middle East, which Robert D. Kaplan defines as the vast region between the Mediterranean and China, encompassing much of the Arab world, parts of northern Africa, and Asia, existed for millennia as the crossroads of empire- Macedonian, Roman, Persian, Mongol, Ottoman, British, Soviet, American.But with the dissolution of empires in the twentieth century, postcolonial states have endeavored to maintain stability in the face of power struggles between factions, leadership vacuums, and the arbitrary borders drawn by exiting imperial rulers with little regard for geography or political groups on the ground. In the Loom of Time, Kaplan explores this broad, fraught space through reporting and travel writing to reveal deeper truths about the impacts of history on the present and how the requirements of stability over anarchy are often in conflict with the ideals of democratic governance. In The Loom of Time, Kaplanmakes the case for realism as an approach to the Greater Middle East.Just as Western attempts at democracy promotion across the Middle East have failed, a new form of economic imperialism is emerging today asChina's ambitions fall squarely within the region as the key link between Europe and East Asia. As in the past, the Greater Middle East will be a register of future great power struggles across the globe. And like in the past, thousands of years of imperial rule will continue to cast a long shadow on politics as it is practiced today. To piece together the history of this remarkable place and what it suggests for the future, Kaplan weaves together classic texts, immersive travel writing, and a great variety of voices from every country that all compel the reader to look closely at the realities on the ground and to prioritize these facts over ideals on paper. The Loom of Time is a challenging, clear-eyed book that promises to reframe our vision of the global twenty-first century.

Reviews

In this captivating examination of how geography, history, and culture have coalesced to shape political order in the Greater Middle East,... Robert D. Kaplan has once again shown his mastery.Vali Nasr, Majid Khadduri Professor of Middle East Studies and International Affairs and author of The Shia Revival

Ambitious, learned, sweeping, and thought provoking, Kaplans book is a fascinating story of a decadeslong journey to understand the Middle Easts nuances, and it is richly rewarding.Jon Alterman, Center for Strategic and International Studies, director, Middle East Program

With many Americans longing to leave a region of endless wars in the rear-view mirror, Kaplanstrenchant observations remind us that it will remain a fundamental U.S. concern for years to come.Eric S. Edelman, former U.S. ambassador to Turkey and former undersecretary of defense for policy

Luminously written,...the book brims with perceptive, vivid insights.... A masterful account.Rajan Menon, author of The Conceit of Humanitarian Intervention

This lucid and penetrating bundle of insight on the Greater Middle East... couldnt be more timely.Robert W. Merry, author of President McKinley

No one captures the complexities and contradictions of this region like Robert Kaplan. The Loom of Time weaves together history, biography, and sharp reporting to tell a story of a region still in search of itself.Ray Takeyh, author of The Last Shah

Robert Kaplans latest sweeping interpretation of human history draws on a half century of travel across strategic chunks of Europe, Africa, and Asia to try to make sense of our troubled times.... Kaplan, once again, is provocative. His conclusions in The Loom of Time, once again, are sure to spark deep debate.Robin Wright, author of Rock the Casbah

Continuing Robert Kaplans work as the premier American scholar of geopolitics, The Loom of Time is a book that everyone who wants to understand the real forces that decide war and peace should read. Written in a lucid, engaging prose, this is a book that experts will profit from reading and non-specialist readers won't be able to put down.John Gray, author of The New Leviathans: Thoughts After Liberalism