In 1904 Sir Halford Mackinder published his seminal paper The Geographical Pivot of History demonstrating the central position of political geography in the study of geography as a whole; a century later and political geography is still at the heart of human geography.

Yet over time political geography has experienced many significant ups and downs, eventually recovering to a position of renewed pre-eminence as the last century drew to a close. This fascinating journey, charted by this equally fascinating book, forms a key part of the history of the evolution of spatial science. Beyond a narrative, the book provides an introduction to all the complex elements that constitute political geography today. Organized in three distinct sections, it covers:

process and patterns
ideology and geopolitical visions
beyond the state.
Tackling key contemporary issues (such as politics and the local state), as well as more traditional topics (such as state formation and international relations), this thought-provoking book covers the range of theoretical approaches. Including many original maps and diagrams which skilfully illustrate key themes, this book is a concise, student-friendly, pedagogically rich introduction for students of geography, political science and world affairs.