Amovingmeditationonrecentgeopoliticalcrises,viewedthroughthelensofancientandmoderntragedy“Spare,elegantandpoignant....Ifthereisasinglecontemporarybookthatshouldbepressedintothehandsofthosewhodecideissuesofwarandpeace,thisisit.“--JohnGray,NewStatesman“ItistragicthatRobertD.Kaplan’sluminousTheTragicMindissourgentlyneeded.“--GeorgeF.WillSomebooksemergefromalifetimeofhard-wonknowledge.RobertD.Kaplanhaslearned,fromacareerspentreportingonwars,revolutions,andinternationalpoliticsinEurope,theMiddleEast,andEastAsia,thattheessenceofgeopoliticsistragedy.InTheTragicMind,heemploystheworksofancientGreekdramatists,Shakespeare,Germanphilosophers,andthemodernclassicstoexplorethecentralsubjectsofinternationalpolitics:order,disorder,rebellion,ambition,loyaltytofamilyandstate,violence,andthemistakesofpower.Thegreatdilemmasofinternationalpolitics,heargues,arenotposedbygoodversusevil--aclearandeasychoice--butbycontestsofgoodversusgood,wherethechoicesareoftensearing,incompatible,andfraughtwithconsequences.Adeeplylearnedanddeeplyfeltmeditationontheimportanceoflivedexperienceinconductinginternationalrelations,thisisabookforeveryonewhowantsaprofoundunderstandingofthetragicpoliticsofourtime.
