Kaplan on On Point

Posted on 10/28/2010 by Younghusband

Our Bob was on NPR’s On Point today talking for 45 minutes about his new book Monsoon. No way to embed so check it out over at Robert Kaplan: Monsoon Asia’s Rise or get the podcast from iTunes.

About Younghusband

Sir Francis Edward Younghusband (1863-1942) was a British explorer, army officer, military-political officer, and foreign correspondent born in India who led expeditions into Manchuria, Kashgar, and Tibet. He three times tried and failed to scale Mt. Everest and journeyed from China to India, crossing the Gobi desert and the Mustagh Pass (alt. c.19,000 ft/5,791 m) of the Karakoram mountain range in modern day Pakistan. Convinced of Russian designs on British interests in India, Younghusband proactively engaged in the nineteenth century spying and conflict over Central Asia between the British and the Russians known as the Great Game. "Younghusband" is a Canadian who has spent a number of years bouncing back and forth between his home country and Japan. Fluent in Japanese and English with experience in numerous other languages from Spanish to Georgian, Younghusband has travelled throughout Asia. He graduated with an MA from the War Studies Department at the Royal Military College of Canada, where he focussed on the Japanese oil industry and energy security issues. He has recently returned to Canada from Japan, and is working in the technology sector.
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3 Responses to Kaplan on On Point

  1. kurt9 says:
    10/28/2010 at 5:03 pm

    I just finished “Monsoon”. It was quite good. I like Kaplan’s use of the term “former third world” since the third world is no longer so third world-like these days. I think I’ll use this term from now on to describe what I call the “southern” world (meaning the developing world other than China).

    The parts about Sri Lanka and Burma were quite informative. Most of the rest of the book was stuff I already knew.

    I disagree with Kaplan about the future of India relative to China. I am not as bullish on India as he is (but still think they will “make it”) but am more bullish on China than he is.

    Of course, if we get polywell fusion and mach-lorentz thrusters, the region might be able to end its dependency on oil and natural gas. Stay tuned.

  2. Bob says:
    11/4/2010 at 1:33 am

    Saw Kaplan last week at Harvard. Good speech for 30 minutes with a Q & A follow up. Outlined his book, good sense of humor and tight logic for analysis. Any readers in the Boston Area?