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Zbigniew Brzezinski
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Grand Chessboard: American Primacy And Its Geostrategic Imperatives Paperback – 18 Sept. 1998

by Zbigniew Brzezinski (Author)
4.6 out of 5 stars 347 ratings
As the twentieth century draws to a close, the United States has emerged as the world's only superpower: no other nation possesses comparable military and economic power or has interests that bestride the globe. Yet the critical question facing America remains unanswered: What should be the nation's global strategy for maintaining its exceptional position in the world? Zbigniew Brzezinski tackles this question head-on in this incisive and pathbreaking book.The Grand Chessboard presents Brzezinski's bold and provocative geostrategic vision for American preeminence in the twenty-first century. Central to his analysis is the exercise of power on the Eurasian landmass, which is home to the greatest part of the globe's population, natural resources, and economic activity. Stretching from Portugal to the Bering Strait, from Lapland to Malaysia, Eurasia is the "grand chessboard" on which America's supremacy will be ratified and challenged in the years to come. The task facing the United States, he argues, is to manage the conflicts and relationships in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East so that no rival superpower arises to threaten our interests or our well-being.The heart of The Grand Chessboard is Brzezinski's analysis of the four critical regions of Eurasia and of the stakes for America in each arena--Europe, Russia, Central Asia, and East Asia. The crucial fault lines may seem familiar, but the implosion of the Soviet Union has created new rivalries and new relationships, and Brzezinski maps out the strategic ramifications of the new geopolitical realities. He explains, for example: Why France and Germany will play pivotal geostrategic roles, whereas Britain and Japan will not. Why NATO expansion offers Russia the chance to undo the mistakes of the past, and why Russia cannot afford to toss this opportunity aside. Why the fate of Ukraine and Azerbaijan are so important to America. Why viewing China as a menace is likely to become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Why America is not only the first truly global superpower but also the last--and what the implications are for America's legacy. Brzezinski's surprising and original conclusions often turn conventional wisdom on its head as he lays the groundwork for a new and compelling vision of America's vital interests. Once, again, Zbigniew Brzezinski provides our nation with a philosophical and practical guide for maintaining and managing our hard-won global power.
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  1. Print length
    240 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Basic Books
  4. Publication date
    18 Sept. 1998
  5. Dimensions
    13.97 x 1.91 x 20.96 cm
  6. ISBN-10
    0465027261
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0465027262
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There is a newer edition of this item:

DICTATOR'S HANDBOOK : American Primacy and Its Geostrategic Imperatives
DICTATOR'S HANDBOOK : American Primacy and Its Geostrategic Imperatives
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About the Author

Zbigniew Brzezinski, the National Security Advisor to President Jimmy Carter, is a counselor and trustee at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and a professor of American foreign policy at the School of Advanced International Studies, the Johns Hopkins University, both located in Washington, D.C. His many books include The Choice and The Grand Chessboard. He lives in Washington, D.C.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Basic Books
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ 18 Sept. 1998
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 240 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0465027261
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0465027262
  • Item weight ‏ : ‎ 272 g
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 13.97 x 1.91 x 20.96 cm
  • Best Sellers Rank: 735,425 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • Customer reviews:
    4.6 out of 5 stars 347 ratings

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Zbigniew Brzezinski

Zbigniew Brzezinski

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Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
347 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book clear and easy to read. The pacing receives positive feedback for its strategic vision, with one customer noting its relevance to current events.

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ReadabilityPacing
13 customers mention ‘Readability’12 positive1 negative

Customers find the book easy to read and clear, with one customer specifically praising its coverage of American hegemony.

"Very good book, with clear and straight forward idea and strategic vision,most of them we can see in today world...." Read more

"This is a great read everything in this book seems to be happening in the world today and yet it was written in 1997." Read more

"...Well worth a read." Read more

"I love the book." Read more

6 customers mention ‘Pacing’6 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the pacing of the book, with its strategic vision and persuasive theory, and one customer notes its relevance to current events.

"Very good book, with clear and straight forward idea and strategic vision,most of them we can see in today world...." Read more

"...Written in the nineties, it is very prescient regarding the current (2016) involvement of United States in the Ukraine, Middle East and Europe." Read more

"...It also explains America's military, diplomatic and commercial presence in countries that encircle Russia and border on China." Read more

"...Offensive realism is a very persuasive theory and this book has helped to win me over. It's all about power, baby." Read more

Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars This is a 'must read book
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 19 November 2009
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    For anyone interested in the motivations that underpin current American foreign policy thinking, this is a 'must read' book. I came to it because of the number of times it was referenced by other authors and decided that it was time that I read it too. The title of the book explains its analytical purpose. It is very much about how the USA can continue to assert its primacy and the manner in which it needs to do so. Reading this analysis of America's global strategic imperatives, especially for the long-term control and security of oil supplies, shows why the USA is in Iraq, Afghanistan now and, latterly, why it is becoming more involved in Africa in countries where oil and minerals are yet to be exploited intensively. It also explains America's military, diplomatic and commercial presence in countries that encircle Russia and border on China.
    19 people found this helpful
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  • Oblomov
    5.0 out of 5 stars Geopolitical drama: Awesome
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 13 July 2009
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Very good book about American hegemony and the different players in the geopolitical game.

    Evidently, Brzezinkski is a very talented author and I am a keen admirer of his works.

    I would also thoroughly recommend 'Tradegy of the Great Powers' by J.Mersheimer because the two go hand to hand very well. Offensive realism is a very persuasive theory and this book has helped to win me over. It's all about power, baby.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Leo
    4.0 out of 5 stars Very good book, with clear and straight forward idea and strategic vision,most of them we can see in today world.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 30 January 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Very good book, with clear and straight forward idea and strategic vision,most of them we can see in today world. However his visions are a little but contaminated by a "naive" consideration of american supremacy / mission and by a sense of "holy" destiny or unique role in history for the US. Summarising it is a "must to read", easy reading and clear but also in its mainstream ideologic.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Kendo
    5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 5 August 2013
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    He's a very clever guy is Mr. Brzezinski!! This book was originally wrote in 1979, and looking around us know, the American plan is well under way. Well worth a read.
    9 people found this helpful
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  • Gerant
    5.0 out of 5 stars Worth the money!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 23 March 2011
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    This is a good read and is not out of date today (written in 1996?). Indeed the content is very relevant today. He speaks with authority and understanding, as indeed he should seeing as what his position was in the US government.
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  • Caomhin
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good read... 🙂
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 26 August 2019
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Enjoyable if you are interested in American global political strategy...
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Slush Fund
    3.0 out of 5 stars Kind of a dull read. I was hoping on him divulging more ...
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 18 February 2015
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Kind of a dull read. I was hoping on him divulging more strategical secrets, which he does not do for obvious reasons.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Jozef Kosik
    5.0 out of 5 stars Plan for the domination of Eurasia from the man in ...
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 16 April 2016
    Verified Purchase
    A plan for the domination of Eurasia from the man in the know. Written in the nineties, it is very prescient regarding the current (2016) involvement of United States in the Ukraine, Middle East and Europe.
    7 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • walter
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read for every Politician!
    Reviewed in Germany on 23 November 2024
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Excellent book! Originally published in 1997; predicts possible war with Russia over Ukriane partnership with NATO. This current war could have been avoided and many lives saved.
    Its a blue-print of the USA National Security Doctrine to defend its hegemony.
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  • Alaturka
    5.0 out of 5 stars Expert Analysis:
    Reviewed in the United States on 16 August 2003
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Brzezinski is familiarly precinct, efficient and far reaching. In this book he puts on display his characteristically deep analytic skills on a topic he has spent many years as a professional strategist and lecturer. Though at the time of its publishing, when the world was in a much more optimistic mood and globalism was on the march, his approach seemed to hark back to a bygone era, nowadays in this time of hawkish politics, he does not seem to be that far off the mark. His rationalism should not be confused with the views of the current ideologues on the right though.
    Certainly, his take on US [power], and its logic of inevitability, may not be that acceptable to some, but still, it only reflects reality, not necessarily a moral judgment. Regardless, rather than simply focusing on and explaining the present based on recent past, like many professional talking heads do, he has actually made some bold projections into far future.
    He points at Asia as the center of this grand chess game and concludes it is there where the final moves will be played out. With his excellent knowledge of Eastern Europe, Russia and Far East, he makes an excellent argument.
    His few attempts at placing Middle East and Islam in the picture fall far short though; he fails to go beyond worn-out clichés. When was the last time an Islamic revolution got exported anywhere, really?
    This is a valuable and interesting book reveals much about super-power strategic thinking process, written very clearly, and I added the last star for his efforts to draw a map of the future geo-politics. Highly recommended for anyone interested in these topics.
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  • Florian ETIENNE
    5.0 out of 5 stars Un grand classique de la géopolitique
    Reviewed in France on 23 July 2013
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    The Grand Chessboard est un livre important pour comprendre le projet de l'impérialisme américain.
    Il faut cependant lire ce livre avec un regard d' "initié" pour comprendre toutes les implications,
    car Brzezinski cache toujours ses véritables intentions.
    N'oublions pas que le processus d'hégémonie qu'il défend ne servira pas à promouvoir la "démocratie" mais à
    installer la dictature des financiers occidentaux sur le monde, soit le "nouvel ordre mondial".
    Ce n'est donc pas un livre pour les dupes.
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  • Patrick
    5.0 out of 5 stars Un'analisi semplicemente magnifica
    Reviewed in Italy on 2 October 2017
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    La carriera di Brzezinski parla da sé. L'analisi è approfondita e gli accenti posti nei punti giusti. Puntuale e molto chiara, oserei dire illuminante per coloro che non sono estremamente competenti nel campo della geopolitica.
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  • julika winkler
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating reading.
    Reviewed in Canada on 6 June 2015
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    The title of the book says it all. A primer in the political chessboard that is the US foreign policy. Brzezinski outlines in broad strokes
    the template that should direct US foreign relations if the US wishes to remain the dominant world power.Considering this book was first published in 1997, it is amazing in its prescience regarding US policy today , especially vis a vie China, Russia, Ukraine and Europe. For readers interested in politics,this book makes fascinating reading.
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