The State of War and Peace Atlas (Penguin Reference)

Rating:
Summary: It was all right.
Review: The book was all right, but not very interesting. It didn't hold my attention too long. It had a lot of redeeming values though.

Rating:
Summary: It was all right.
Review: The book was all right, but not very interesting. It didn't hold my attention too long. It had a lot of redeeming values though.

Rating:
Summary: Very Biased
Review: The graphic design of the maps is creative, attractive and professional. The information is presented very well; however, the information is not worth presenting. I expected some level of objectivity, especially since in the book the Peace Research Institute of Oslo bills itself as "an independent institute with an international staff."

On page 42, the book states "Israel was founded in 1948 and extended its territory beyond the UN plan. It expanded again in 1967, and in the early 1980s took control of a 'security zone' in southern Lebanon." This makes it seem like Israel simply wants to expand its borders. This book does not mention times when countries invaded Israel and also does not mention terrorism! (It does however, speak of the Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Hezbollah "activists.")

In short, buy this book if you want some excellent examples of infographics. If you want to educate yourself on world crises, however, an Internet search will serve you better.

Rating:
Summary: Greater Care for Details, Please
Review: The State of War and Peace Atlas, new revised edition 1997, 128 pp., is published by the director of the International Peace Research Institute in Oslo. An official publication, impressively printed with many multicolour pages. It offers a wealth on details regarding armed conflicts in recent history. A closer look however reveals a number of inaccuracies : p.15 (spread of Islam) Western Sahara indicated as Muslim population below 30 %; in reality around 90+ %. Burkina Faso also shown as Muslim population below 30 %, according to Fischer Weltalmanach 1999 it stands at 43 %. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands (India) are shown as Muslim majority country; they obviously were allocated to Indonesia by mistake. On pages 46/47 bottom, Assam was allocated to Burma when India was partitioned in 1947 - again a mistake in computer graphics. Page 52 shows Africa during the colonial (pre-World War I) Era. Yet, Cameroon is shown in it's post WW I borders, as is Togo and Libya. The list might be continued. The book is still offering valuable information; the user is advised to cross-check geographical and historical data. In case a new edition is prepared, I sincerely hope the unnecessary mistakes are corrected, for I do believe that a handbook on armed conflicts in recent history should have it's place in every English language library and the Oslo-based institute is the proper authority to issue it.

Rating:
Summary: Greater Care for Details, Please
Review: The State of War and Peace Atlas, new revised edition 1997, 128 pp., is published by the director of the International Peace Research Institute in Oslo. An official publication, impressively printed with many multicolour pages. It offers a wealth on details regarding armed conflicts in recent history. A closer look however reveals a number of inaccuracies : p.15 (spread of Islam) Western Sahara indicated as Muslim population below 30 %; in reality around 90+ %. Burkina Faso also shown as Muslim population below 30 %, according to Fischer Weltalmanach 1999 it stands at 43 %. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands (India) are shown as Muslim majority country; they obviously were allocated to Indonesia by mistake. On pages 46/47 bottom, Assam was allocated to Burma when India was partitioned in 1947 - again a mistake in computer graphics. Page 52 shows Africa during the colonial (pre-World War I) Era. Yet, Cameroon is shown in it's post WW I borders, as is Togo and Libya. The list might be continued. The book is still offering valuable information; the user is advised to cross-check geographical and historical data. In case a new edition is prepared, I sincerely hope the unnecessary mistakes are corrected, for I do believe that a handbook on armed conflicts in recent history should have it's place in every English language library and the Oslo-based institute is the proper authority to issue it.

Rating:
Summary: Dramatic Graphics of Global Condition
Review: Together with the State of the World Atlas, this book ranks as one of the very best and most useful compilations of what I call "strategic generalizations", but with the very great added value of being presented in a graphical form that is easy to understand. As the international media becomes less and less useful as a means of appreciating how global conditions threaten our own internal security and prosperity, guide books like this one become all the more valuable to citizens and their elected representatives. This is an essential desk reference for every student striving to learn how to think, not just memorize, and for every adult who cares to understand just how unstable and diminishing is the world we are leaving to our children. The book is *not* out-of-date in 2000, but we would all benefit from a new edition coming out that might expand on the core value of the 1997 edition.

Rating:
Summary: Dramatic Graphics of Global Condition
Review: Together with the State of the World Atlas, this book ranks as one of the very best and most useful compilations of what I call "strategic generalizations", but with the very great added value of being presented in a graphical form that is easy to understand. As the international media becomes less and less useful as a means of appreciating how global conditions threaten our own internal security and prosperity, guide books like this one become all the more valuable to citizens and their elected representatives. This is an essential desk reference for every student striving to learn how to think, not just memorize, and for every adult who cares to understand just how unstable and diminishing is the world we are leaving to our children. The book is *not* out-of-date in 2000, but we would all benefit from a new edition coming out that might expand on the core value of the 1997 edition.