Adriatic

A Concert of Civilizations at the End of the Modern Age

By: Robert D. Kaplan

Narrated by: Arthur Morey

“[An] elegantly layered exploration of Europe’s past and future . . . a multifaceted masterpiece.”—The Wall Street Journal

“A lovely, personal journey around the Adriatic, in which Robert Kaplan revisits places and peoples he first encountered decades ago.”—Peter Frankopan, author of The Silk Roads

ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New Yorker

In this insightful travelogue, Robert D. Kaplan, geopolitical expert and bestselling author of Balkan Ghosts and The Revenge of Geography, 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 center 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.

Kaplan explores how the region has changed over his three decades of observing it as a journalist. He finds that to understand both the historical and contemporary Adriatic is to gain a window on the future of Europe as a whole, and he unearths a stark truth: The era of populism is an epiphenomenon—a symptom of the age of nationalism coming to an end. Instead, the continent is returning to alignments of the early modern era as distinctions between East and West meet and break down within the Adriatic countries and ultimately throughout Europe.

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

©2022 Robert D. Kaplan (P)2022 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“An excellent exploration of the Adriatic’s intriguing geographic and intellectual landscapes . . . The historical scope of Kaplan’s canvas is vast, yet he works hard to bring to it the fruits of modern historical scholarship. That is rare among popular authors, and deserves much praise.”—The New York Times

“[An] elegantly layered exploration of Europe’s past and future . . . Like the best European travelogues—the wandering, inquisitive weavings of Rebecca West’s Black Lamb and Grey Falcon (1941) or Patrick Leigh Fermor’s Between the Woods and the Water (1986)—Adriatic mimics the layered complexity of its subject. This is a multifaceted masterpiece, a glittering excavation of the glories and rubbish heaps of Europe’s past, a meditation on history and the inner journey of traveling with books in mind, a traveler’s elegy for paths taken and not taken, and a conditionally hopeful reflection on Europe’s emerging future.”—The Wall Street Journal

“A marvelous mix of history, literature, atmospherics, and personal insight . . . [Kaplan] travels to learn rather than to simply confirm, which makes him the ideal guide for readers interested in expanding their understanding rather than reinforcing their assumptions. . . . Europe is back, and Kaplan’s erudite and humane study offers an exemplary guide to it.”—The National Interest

Antiques brought to life

The study of western civilization finally given relevance to modern society. Once you get through the first chapter you will be sitting on the edge of your seat as the author shines a spot light on events of the past and ties them logically to the present.

Good Observations and Hidden Gems

I eagerly anticipated reading this book, as I loved reading Balkan Ghosts so many years ago. However, I was disappointed. The book for me was a long slog, even after eliminating the three chapters before the final chapter on Corfu. I liked the idea of referencing history, literature and poetry while traveling, but it was assumed that the reader had an advanced degree from an Ivy League school and pursued a life in academia. I learned a few things by listening, how could anyone not? However, so much for me was obtuse. I simply did not have the mental scaffolding for the chapters on Central Europe, so I gave up on those chapters, because they were incomprehensible. I enjoyed the chapter on Corfu as I am Greek American and knew about most of what Kaplan referenced. I liked the bold big ideas of the book, regarding nationalism and globalization. Definitely some good concepts in the book, just a difficult read for an intelligent well educated American.

Insightful but littered with tangents

Having read and enjoyed Balkan Ghosts, though a little turned off by the orientalism of portraying the “East” as a mysterious exotic “other,” I was happy the author actually addressed some of the criticism of that book and his attempts to do better. The discussion of East vs West in this book is much more nuanced.

That said, there are LOTS of tangents, usually almost stream of consciousness ruminations that take away from the specific location(s) discussed in a five chapter. The conversations he has with locals are not as in depth as those in Balkan Ghosts, which I think would have made this a much better book. Still found great value in the history and insights by such a well travelled and (at least in this work) self-aware author.

love Robert Kaplan

Kaplan is a treasure. Just listen / Read it! You'll thank me! You are all welcome

Broad Regional Knowledge

As an American, my knowledge of history and politics of other geographical regions like the Adriatic has always been blunted by the egocentric perspective of the USA. This book has provided a brief but global perspective of the post modern history and politics of the region!

Pondering writer; ponderous narrator

A pondering narrative requires a less ponderous narrator. At times it felt like the narrator was just ... saying words.
This is

Boring pile of unrelated personal notes

Hoped it would be a historical deep review of the Adriatic Sea surrounding lands, cultures, people, wars and changes of control over the years.
Instead it is a confused pile of pseudo philosophical ideas, made of tons of unrelated footnotes taken from everywhere in the world except from the Adriatic world context.
Struggled for few hours trying to find the purpose of all of it but finally gave up.

What is it trying to do ?

The author is a knowledgeable, experienced, respected journalist. I have enjoyed a couple of his other books such as Balkan Ghosts 
Then there is this book. What is the purpose of the book ? A historical summary ? Personal travel memoir ? A philosophical musing ? A travel guide  ? It tries to be all these things and it doesn't work.  If this book was meant to be un update to the book Balkan Ghosts, it failed miserably.

Parts of this book are really very good. Too many are not. It is a disjointed, unfocused rambling and sometimes incoherent book.

All it's weaknesses are magnified by the poor narration.

Disappointing

More of a bibliography of books about the Adriatic than a history or travelogue of the region. Narrator is like the most boring college professor you ever had.