3 Review(s)

Asia’s Cauldron: The South China Sea and the End of a Stable Pacific, by Robert D. Kaplan, presents a vivid picture of the countries surrounding the South China Sea, the battles brewing in the region at the emergence of the 21st century and what they could mean for the United States. Summary of the Book Europe is a landscape, East Asia is a seascape. So begins the first chapter of this title and thus does the famous travel writer and foreign policy proficient, Robert D. Kaplan, envision the possible European conflicts and the geopolitical brawls of the future. He asserts that the Chinese have a supremacy over the body of water that several countries claim, and discloses the under-reported military build-up in the region. As he explains the contradictory interests that are rising in East Asia, Kaplan construes America's interests and accountabilities to Asian commitments in the context of a more dominant China. About Robert D. Kaplan Robert David Kaplan is an American journalist who is currently a National Correspondent for The Atlantic magazine and a writer for Stratfor. Many of his writings have been featured in The Washington Post, The New York Times, The New Republic, The National Interest, Foreign Affairs and The Wall Street Journal. He was named one of the world’s “Top 10 Global Thinkers" in the year 2011 by Foreign Policy magazine.