Borderlines and Borderlands - by Alexander C Diener & Joshua Hagen (Paperback)

About the Book

Focusing on unusual international border shapes, this fascinating book highlights the important truth that all borders, even those that appear "natural," were created by people. The unique and compelling histories of some of the world's oddest borders provide an ideal context ...

Book Synopsis

Focusing on unusual international border shapes, this fascinating book highlights the important truth that all borders, even those that appear "natural," were created by people. The unique and compelling histories of some of the world's oddest borders provide an ideal context for accessible and enlightening discussions of cultural globalization, economic integration, international migration, imperialism, postcolonialism, global terrorism, nationalism, and supranationalism. Each contributor's regional expertise enriches a textured account of the historical context in which these borders came into existence as well as their historical and ongoing influence on the people and states they bound.

Review Quotes

A great book. I'm going to highly recommend it as a supplementary reading.

The forces of globalization may be challenging the traditional prerogatives of the territorial state, but this volume clearly shows that we are a long way from a postterritorial world. Through a fascinating set of case studies-ranging from the prominent to the obscure-the book offers compelling evidence that interstate boundary conflicts are persistent, important features of the international scene.

This book presents a convincing argument that forecasts of a borderless world are, at best, naïve. Reinforced by fascinating little-known facts and a conscious commitment to historical background, this impressive collection of insightful, carefully edited case studies hangs together nicely as a lively, up-to-date exploration of boundary issues in both the developed and the developing worlds. It's also a good read for anyone curious about the world.

About the Author

Alexander C. Diener is associate professor of geography at Pepperdine University. Joshua Hagen is dean of the College of Letters and Science at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.