Virtual Event: Ian Morris

Harvard Book Store's virtual event series welcomes IAN MORRIS—the Jean and Rebecca Willard Professor of Classics and Professor in History at Stanford University and author of the critically acclaimed Why the West Rules—for Now—for a discussion of his new book Geography Is Destiny: Britain's Place in the World: A 10,000-Year History. He will be joined in conversation by Pulitzer Prize winning author of A Thousand Acres JANE SMILEY.

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About Geography is Destiny

When Britain voted to leave the European Union in 2016, the 48 percent who wanted to stay and the 52 percent who wanted to go each accused the other of stupidity, fraud, and treason. In reality, the Brexit debate merely reran a script written eight thousand years earlier, when the rising seas physically separated the British Isles from the European continent. Ever since, geography has been destiny―yet it is humans who get to decide what that destiny means.

Ian Morris, the critically acclaimed author of Why the West Rules―for Now, describes how technology and organization have steadily enlarged Britain's arena, and how its people have tried to turn this to their advantage. For the first seventy-five hundred years, the British were never more than bit players at the western edge of a European stage, struggling to find a role among bigger, richer, and more sophisticated continental rivals. By 1500 CE, however, new kinds of ships and governments had turned the European stage into an Atlantic one; with the English Channel now functioning as a barrier, England transformed the British Isles into a United Kingdom that created a worldwide empire. Since 1900, however, thanks to rapid globalization, Britain has been overshadowed by American, European, and―increasingly―Chinese actors. But in trying to find its place in a global economy, Britain has been looking in all the wrong places. The eight-thousand-year story bracingly chronicled by Geography Is Destiny shows that the great question for the coming century is not what to do about Brussels; it's what to do about Beijing.

Praise for Geography is Destiny

"Sparkling . . . Written with verve and wit, this compulsively readable overview of British history is full of fascinating lore and incisive analysis." ―Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"In this immensely detailed book, Morris effectively combines history, memoir, and current events. A remarkable story told with clear-minded authority." ―Kirkus Reviews

"Morris provides a very comprehensive history of Britain while keeping readers engaged. It is a skill to cover such a vast timeline and still keep a reader wanting more. A satisfying read for both readers new to British history those looking for a new take." ―Library Journal