Brings political geography to life—explores key concepts, critical debates, and contemporary research in the field. Political geography is the study of how power struggles both shape and are shaped by the places in which they occur—the spatial nature of political power. Political Geography: A Critical Introduction helps students understand how power is related to space, place, and territory, illustrating how everyday life and the world of global conflict and nation-states are inextricably intertwined. This timely, engaging textbook weaves critical, postcolonial, and feminist narratives throughout its exploration of key concepts in the discipline. Accessible to students new to the field, this text offers critical approaches to political geography—including questions of gender, sexuality, race, and difference—and explains central political concepts such as citizenship, security, and territory in a geographic context. Case studies incorporate methodologies that illustrate how political geographers perform research, enabling students to develop a well-rounded critical approach rather than merely focusing on results. Chapters cover topics including the role of nationalism in shaping allegiances, the spatial aspects of social movements and urban politics, the relationship between international relations and security, the effects of non-human actors in politics, and more. Global in scope, this book: Highlights a diverse range of globally-oriented issues, such as global inequality, that demonstrate the need for critical political geography Demonstrates how critiques of political geography intersect with decolonial, feminist, and queer movements Covers the Eurocentric origins of many of the discipline’s key concepts Integrates advances in political geography theory and firsthand accounts of innovative research from rising scholars in the field Explores both intimate stories from everyday life and abstract concepts central to contemporary political geography Political Geography: A Critical Introduction is an ideal resource for students in political and feminist geography, as well as graduate students and researchers seeking an overview of the discipline.

"A very good overview. Covers the key topics well and in an accessible and engaging style." - Dr Daniel Hammett, Department of Geography, Sheffield University This is a revised and updated edition of a core undergraduate resource for political geography. Focusing on the social and cultural while systematically overviewing the entire discipline, Joe Painter and Alex Jeffrey explain: Politics, geography, and ′political′ geography: power, resources, institutions, and the history of the field State formation: classical views alongside recent work on governance and governmentality Welfare to workfare state: the restructuring of present state strategies Democracy, citizenship and law: different models of democracy in European and global contexts Identity and social movements: the relation between identity and political action Nationalism and regionalism: ethnicity, national identity and "otherness" Imperialism and post-colonialism: from world systems theory to post-structuralist accounts Geopolitics: the political, economic, and strategic significance of geography. Comprehensive, accessible and illustrated with real world examples, Political Geography provides undergraduates with a thorough understanding of the relationship between geography and politics.

Be brave and set your spirit free on an exciting journey across the U.S. of A, taking in 50 incredible adventures! From the award-winning author of National Parks of the USA, Kate Siber, this stunning book showcases an amazing adventure activity to try in every single state. 50 Adventures in the 50 States features gripping outdoors activities, vividly illustrated and described alongside fascinating facts about the nature and geography of each activity location – the very best the U.S.A. has to offer budding young adventurers! Each adventure is illustrated with a beautiful, poster-worthy image, with pull-out facts about how the adventure activity is accomplished and key information about the area’s natural and cultural highlights. Activities range from the high-octane, such as wind surfing the Gulf Coast in Texas or canyoneering in Utah, to the magical and inspiring, such as soaking in natural hot springs in Idaho, stargazing from a train in Nevada and witnessing the synchronous firefly displays in Tennessee. Wonder at the beauty as you: Walk on an active glacier in Alaska Climb the highest peak in the Northeast in New Hampshire Horseback ride through ancient canyons with a Navajo guide in Arizona Surf the iconic Venice Beach in California This book is to be pored over and treasured by aspiring adventurers – be they children or adults! Also available from the 50 States series: The 50 States, 50 Cities of the U.S.A., The 50 States: Activity Book, The 50 States: Fun Facts, 50 Trailblazers of the 50 States, and I Spy the 50 States.

First published in Great Britain in 2015 by Elliott and Thompson Limited.