I have always enjoyed Robert D. Kaplan's entertaining blend of journalism, history, travel writing, and political analysis. Monsoon:The Indian Ocean and the Future of American Power is largely a return to form after the somewhat inevitable pandering journalist's description of war in Imperial Grunts. I'm not sure I buy his analysis about the importance and potential troubles that he predicts will emerge from the Indian Ocean and the surrounding areas. That being said he has lots of great descriptions of his travels throughout the region and presents many interesting historical anecdotes about events that took place in the region. I have been to several of the countries he reports about and would like to visit the many I haven't. The unifying theme might be a stretch, but the enjoyment lies in the detailed reporting, descriptions, and summations of the region.
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