Adriatic: A Geopolitical and Cultural Exploration

Robert D. Kaplan, a geopolitical expert turns his perceptive eye to a region that for centuries has been a meeting point of cultures, trade, and ideas. He undertakes a journey around the Adriatic Sea, through Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro, Albania, and Greece, to reveal that far more is happening in the region than most news stories let on. Often overlooked, the Adriatic is in fact at the centre of the most significant challenges of our time, including the rise of populist politics, the refugee crisis, and battles over the control of energy resources. And it is once again becoming a global trading hub that will determine Europe’s relationship with the rest of the world as China and Russia compete for dominance in its ports.

With a brilliant cross-pollination of history, literature, art, architecture, and current events, in Adriatic: A Concert of Civilizations at the End of the Modern Age, Kaplan demonstrates that this unique region that exists at the intersection of civilizations holds revelatory truths for the future of global affairs.

For a more informed discussion please read the book before the event. The enjoyment of participating in these intimate member-only discussions is that everyone who attends gets to comment on the book we’ve read, exchange ideas with fellow readers and share their perspectives.

Here’s the full reading list for the year.