In the early twentieth century, Halford Mackinder established geography as a new discipline in English universities, predicted the decline of British influence in world affairs and the rise of European totalitarian regimes, and in his personal research made the first ascent of Mount Kenya. His views colored American foreign policy during World War II, and his far-reaching ideas--especially his "Heartland" theory--eventually had great influence on the way leaders of many nations thought about the world. Brian W. Blouet's vivid biography of this remarkable geopolitician describes the major phases of his life and the development of his thought, with a large segment devoted to Mackinder's prescient analyses of world affairs.

BRIAN W. BLOUET, born in Britain and educated at the University of Hull, has lived and taught in the United States since 1964. He is professor and head of the department of geography at Texas A&M University and a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. His research for this book in British archives included collections in Oxford, Reading, London, and Edinburgh. He has published widely in the field of geography, including an edited history of academic geography in the United States.