Reading Series
The Mapmakers
How countries, borders, and political maps got made.
Country histories, border histories, and books about how political maps get made. The Borders Book gives the overview; the rest focuses on particular places and institutions.
13 booksThere’s no required order. Start wherever you want.
In this series
Browse all books- 01The Borders BookA sardonic journey through how modern national borders were carved out of empires by mapmakers, warlords, and colonizers who drew terrible lines across continents.1 hr 23 min read
- 02EGYPTEgypt's survival story from the pyramids through foreign invasions and the tactical revolution of chariot warfare.57 min read
- 03Imperium RomanumRome rises from a founding myth into a republic, an empire, and eventually a ruin. The book follows the rulers and institutions that made it durable, brilliant, and dangerous.38 min read
- 04
GERMANYA sweeping history of Germany from Bismarck through the economic miracle, examining how a nation confronted its darkest past to rebuild itself.57 min read - 05
The Rising SunA searing chronicle of Imperial Japan's militaristic rise, brutal expansion, and catastrophic collapse during World War II.21 min read - 06
Life Inside ChinaA first-person account of daily life in modern China where the Party monitors your phone, shapes your family values, and controls what you can say or search.21 min read - 07
The Kingdom of SmokeInside the manufactured mythology of North Korea's Kim dynasty, where three generations of dictators built a nation on lies, fear, and the world's most elaborate illusion.28 min read - 08
CUBAThe story of Cuba's communist revolution, the CIA's failed attempts to destroy it, and how a small island survived decades of American hostility and Soviet collapse.30 min read - 09
The MirageHow Saudi Arabia weaponized Islam's holiest sites and oil wealth to build an absolute monarchy disguised as religious stewardship.25 min read - 10
SyriaA comprehensive look at Syria's complex history, from ancient civilizations through modern conflict and geopolitical turbulence.Short book - 11
White SilenceAfter centuries as an imagined continent, Antarctica became a prize for explorers and governments. Now its ice holds evidence about the past and warnings about the future.37 min read - 12
Control FreaksA raw tour through the 10 most oppressive regimes on Earth today, from North Korea's total control to Belarus's frozen Soviet silence.28 min read - 13
United NationsShort book