A PHICA L DETA IL S A ND

RETICA l CONTEXT
An innovative und ptolHic political geog-
rapher, Gearoid () '1\,tHhnii (Cerard Toal]
was born in the HqHlblic of Ireland in
1962. Growing up in Counly Monaghan
on the border \IV lih Northe-rn Ireland
was among the influences L liilf pushed 6
'Iuathail to study polltical gvogf";lphy. He
graduated with ajoint BA hi hi:;tmy and
geography in 1982from SI. l"llril'l\',; Col-
lege in Maynooth (now the Nali,"li1) Uni-
versity of Ireland, Maynoolh). oTual hail
completed his Master's degree at the l ini-
versity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
under the direction of John ()'Luughlin,
and moved to Syracuse University where,
supervised by John Agnew and politicill
scientist David Sylvan, he completed his
PhD entitled 'Critical geopolit it's: the
social construction of place and space
in the practice of statecraft' (0 Tuathail,
1989). 0Tuathail has taught at the Uni-
versity of L iverpool, University of South-
ern California, University of Minnesota,
and V irginia Polytechnic Institute and
State University.
His first publication argued for a 'new
geopolitics' that was 'much more critical'
than traditional evaluations of national
interest and policy recommendation (0
'Iuathail, 1986: 73). Defining geo-politics
as political discourse structured 'by either
explicit reference to geographical location
and concepts or by use of certain implic-
itly geographical policy rationalizations
(e.g. Lebensraum, domino theory, contain-
ment, expansionism)', 6Tuathail (1986:
73-4) examined US-EL Salvador relations
from the 1823 Monroe Doctrine to the
1980s Reagan administration. 'American
foreign policy', 6Tuathail (1986: 83) con-
cluded, 'aims to perpetuate, secure and
reaffirm the American way of life. Part
of insuring the survival and prosperity
of large industrial states such as America
involves dominating, controlling and influ-
encing: His subsequent article assessing
US foreign policy, co-authored with John
Agnew (1992), 'precipitated a research
agenda which conceptualized geopolitics
as a form of political discourse rather
than simply a descriptive term intended
to cover the study of foreign policy and
grand statecraft' (Dodds, 2001: 469).
In their paper, 6Thathail and Agnew
(1992: 192) argued that geo-politics must
be studied as 'a discursive practice by
which intellectuals of statecraft "spatial-
ize" international politics in such a way
as to represent it as a "world" character-
ized by particular types of places, peoples
and dramas'. Focusing on international
relations and foreign policy-making, 0
'Iuathail and Agnew (1992: 194)maintained
that the speeches and writings of politi-
cians, diplomats, policy advisors and the
media comprise 'geopolitical reasoning'.
These statements can be analysed, not to
Hague, Euan (2010) "Gearoid O Tuathail (Gerard Toal)," in Key
Thinkers on Space and Place, ed. P. Hubbard and R. Kitchin, Sage,
London, Second Edition, 414-420.
structured 'by either
;eographicallocation
se of certain implic-
licy rationalizations
lino theory, contain-
, 6 Tuathail (1986:
IL Salvador relations
-oe Doctrine to the
.istration. 'American
rthail (1986: 83) con-
petuate, secure and
III way of life. Part
ivaI and prosperity
tes such as America
:ontrolling and influ-
~ t article assessing
authored with John
ipitated a research
)tualized geopolitics
al discourse rather
Jtive term intended
: foreign policy and
ds, 2001: 469).
lUathail and Agnew
at geo-politics must
cursive practice by
f statecraft "spatial-
itics in such a way
1 "world" character-
~ s of places, peoples
19 on international
l policy-making, 6
192: 194) maintained
i writings of politi-
:y advisors and the
political reasoning'.
be analysed, not to
Gear6id6Tuathail(GerardToal)
see whether they are truthful, but rather
to critically examine the effects that
using certain terms and language have
on the practice and impact of interna-
tional relations. Painter (1995: 146) thus
argues that the research agenda initiated
by 6 Tuathail ' s work is 'concerned par-
ticularly with the "texts" of international
politics', what they mean and how they
are used, rather than political events in
themselves.
Evaluating geo-politics stimulated a
reshaping of political geography in the
1990s, and contrasted with examinations
of the geographical facts of politics and
state relations. 6 Tuathail and Agnew
I .
(1992) argued there was a need to assess
how ' geopolitical reasoning' constructs
representations of states, territories and
political regimes through discourse and
how people utilise these discursive under-
standings to explain events, envision
international relations and justify foreign
policy actions. This research agenda,
therefore, was a departure from existing
studies within political geography con-
i
cerned with state formation, contested
I
national borders and territories, national-
I
I ism and secession," voting patterns, geo-
I
graphical impacts of wars and concepts
r
such as world-systems theory, state the-
ory and sovereignty (Painter, 1995; Atkin-
son and Dodds, 2000; Dodds, 2001).
,...... ,., ".-
SPATIAL CONTRleUTIONS
6 Tuathail's key contribution to debates
on space and place has been his espousal
of a critical theory of geo-politics. Tradi-
tionally, geo-politics is how state analysts,
military or other, interpret the territorial
operation of state power and visualise
spatial control. In contrast, 6 Tuathail
argues for a critical geo-politics that rec-
ognises and exposes geo-political asser-
tions and makes 'informed critiques of the
spatializing practices of power' (6Tuathail
and Dalby, 1994: 513). Influenced by the
end of the Cold War and postmodern, post-
structuralist, feminist and psychoanalytic
theories, critical geo-politics problematises
political discourses, examines their spatial
assumptions, questions power relations
and challenges the role of the state and
how its institutional analysts envision the
world. () 'I\.t athail draws on Foucault' s
understanding of governmentality to
argue that the articulation of 'geo-power'
over both people and territory is a critical
function of modern statehood. '[M]y con-
cern', states 6 Tuathail (1996a: 11), 'is the
power struggle between different societies
over the right to speak sovereignly about
geography, space and territory.' Utilising
Derrida to assess and deconstruct politi-
cal discourse, 6 Tuathail (1996a: 66-7)
proposes that geo-graphy and geo-politics
can be hyphenated to emphasise the proc-
ess of discourse in writing or 'scripting...
global space by state-society intellectuals
and institutions'.
Drawing on such diverse theoretical
traditions and conversant in contempo-
rary international relations theories, 6
Tuathail productively integrated these app-
roaches to generate analyses that interro-
gated contemporary international politi-
cal discourse and stressed the importance
to statecraft of geographical representa-
tions. Indeed, this is one of 6 Tuathail ' s
most significant geographical contribu-
tions. Critical geo-politics made issues of
space and political geography pertinent to
the discipline of international relations and
its practitioners, introducing geographical
analyses to intellectual debates and scholars
that had largely ignored these perspectives.
Critical geo-politics, therefore, is inter-
disciplinary and 6 Tuathail has been at the
forefront of developing this field of study,
editing books and special issues of major
journals on the topic (e.g., 6 Thathail and
Dalby, 1994; 1998a; Dalby and 6 Thathail,
1996; Herod et al., 1998; 6 Thathail et al. ,
1998).
In his book Critical Geopolitics, 6
Thathail (1996a) deconstructs the canon
of late nineteenth- and early twentieth-
century gco-poiitical texts by Rudolf
Kjellen, Friedrich Ratzel, Karl Haush-
ofer and Halford Mackinder, exposing
their assumptions of political power and
paying attention to their constructions
of space, race and gender. Traditional
geo-politics was a science for men who
sought to know and control territory
and 6 1\wthail (1996a: 82) contends that
Mackinder envisioned British East Africa
(Kenya) 'as a feminized space to be pen-
etrated, a territory reached by others but
not yet conquered'. Further, 6 Thathail
(1996a: 111-29) examines both the fact
and fictionalisation of Haushofer and
Nazi geo-politics in US magazines Life
and Reader's Digest and the movie Plan for
Destruction (1943). These examples are
contrasted with other geo-political texts
produced at the time, such as those by
US foreign policy analyst Robert Strausz-
Hupe, an Austrian emigre to the US. Crit-
ical Geopolitics also includes studies of
the writings by conservative (post-) Cold
War US intellectuals Samuel Huntington
and Edward Luttwak (6 Thathail, 1996a).
6 Tuathail has also developed a number
of concepts for critically analysing geo-
political reasoning, dividing geo-political
discourse into 'popular geopolitics' - evi-
dent in the mass media, movies and popular
culture; 'practical geopolitics' - apparent in
foreign policy and state bureaucracy; and
'formal geopolitics' produced in think-
tanks and academic venues (6 Thathail and
Dalby, 1998b). Diagrammatically outlining
how this tripartite division intertwines to
'comprise the geopolitical culture of a par-
ticular region, state or inter-state alliance',
Key Thinkers on Space and Place
to produce a 'spatializing of boundaries
and dangers' and to construct 'geopoliti
cal representations of self and other', ()
Thathail and Dalby (1998b: 5) maintain
that geo-politics are socio-cultural phc
nomena evident in everyday life.
Geo-political representations are pro-
duced and consumed in myriad ways,
from tabloid newspaper headlines and
Hollywood films, to presidential speeches
advocating military action. Examining the
'geopolitical condition' of contemporary
international politics, 6 Thathail (2000b;
2002b) argues that processes like glo
balization, telecommunications and the
'world risk society' are challenging extant
ways of thinking about state borders, ter
ritory, power, defence and security. With
world leaders lauding the possibilities oj
the internet, biotechnology and telecom
munications for capital , industry and sci
ence, many are simultaneously worried
that these advances could get into th('
'wrong hands' and generate new threals
to state security. 6 Thathail (e.g., 2002b)
expands critical geo-politics beyond dis
course analysis, to address the 'geopoliti
cal world order' of state alliances, global
relations of production, consumption and
the spatial processes of trade or 'geopo
litical economy' and world 'techno-terri
torial complexes' that, through scientifi c
advances, the acceleration of transporlH
tion and communications and their utili
sations, re-shape power relations within.
between and beyond states.
The range of topics across 6 Tuathail' :,
numerous publications suggests that many
can find material to resonate with
own interests. Alongside re-evaluations ot
the discourse of foreign policy debates and
interviews with major figures within till'
geo-political canon (e.g., 1992; 1994; 2000W
2001; 2005a; 2006; 2008a), 6 Tuathail, oftell
presciently, examines contemporary isstl l'.<,
These include case studies of the inters!',
tion of politics and control over territory
such as the 1991 Gulf War (e.g., 1997). IIlI'
Gear6id 6Tuathail (Gerard Toa
Balkan Wars of the early
aftermath (e.g., 1996a; 19S
2006; 6 Thathail and Dahl
Dahlman and 6 Thathail
Russia and crises in the
tains in the 2000s (e.g.,
and 6 Thathail, 2007; 0
2004; 2006; 2008). One sl
reports by Maggie O'Kan
daily newspaper The Gua:
'anti-geopolitics' scripted E
of horrors where the West
but implicitly maintaine
remains a place that is bE
ern political sphere (6 1
182). 6 Thathail's initial (
Bosnia in US policy discou:
applauded; Smith (2000: 3E
comprise 'the most fertile
ous critique of a geo-pol
Working with Carl Dahlrr:
advanced his analyses of I
paring official political dis(
guage and practical impa
and legislation, and persol
recounted by interviewees.
the often brutal process of
ing established new 'facts I
that shaped subsequent Ie
and created 'new landscape
and housing settlements' (C
Dahlman, 2006: 305), 6 1\
critical geo-politics to interr
material and discursive pI
formation.
KEY AND
CONTROVERSIES.:
In the name of heterogen(
ibility, 6 Tuathail frequ
defining 'critical geopoliti
tics', ' territory', 'space' and
vThinkers on Space and Place
Jatializing of boundaries
d to construct 'geopoliti-
illS of self and other', 6
llby (1998b: 5) maintain
are socio-cultural phe-
in everyday life.
representations are pro-
mmed in myriad ways,
~ w s p p e r headlines and
:, to presidential speeches
iry action. Examining the
ldition' of contemporary
litics, 6 Thathail (2000b;
that processes like glo-
ommunications and the
ty' are challenging extant
; about state borders, ter-
:fence and security. With
uding the possibilities of
,technology and telecom-
capital, industry and sci-
simultaneously worried
nces could get into the
.nd generate new threats
. 6 Tuathail (e.g., 2002b)
geo-politics beyond dis-
to address the' geopoliti-
of state alliances, global
uction, consumption and
csses of trade or 'geopo-
and world 'techno-terri-
, that, through scientific
:celeration of transporta-
nications and their utili-
power relations within,
ond states.
opics across 6 Thathail's
ltions suggests that many
I to resonate with their
::mgside re-evaluations of
)reign policy debates and
najor figures within the
1 (e.g., 1992; 1994; 2000a;
. 2008a), 6 Thathail, often
nes contemporary issues.
e studies of the intersec-
,d control over territory,
}ulf War (e.g., 1997), the
Gear6id 6Tuathail (GerardToal)
Balkan Wars of the early 1990s and their
aftermath (e.g., 1996a; 1996b; 1999; 2002a;
2006; 6 Thathail and Dahlman, 2004; 2006;
Dahlman and 6 Tuathail, 2005a; 2005b),
Russia and crises in the Caucus Moun-
tains in the 2000s (e.g., 2008b; Kolossov
and 6 Thathail, 2007; O'Loughlin et aI.,
2004; 2006; 2008). One study, centred on
reports by Maggie O'Kane in the British
daily newspaper The Guardian, argues an
'anti-geopolitics' scripted Bosnia as a place
of horrors where the West must intervene,
but implicitly maintained that Bosnia
remains a place that is beyond the West-
ern political sphere (6 Thathail, 1996b:
182). 6 Thathail's initial examinations of
Bosnia in US policy discourse were widely
applauded; Smith (2000: 365) claimed they
comprise 'the most fertile and adventur-
ous critique of a geo-political tradition'.
Working with Carl Dahlman, 6 Thathail
advanced his analyses of Bosnia by com-
paring official political discourse, the lan-
guage and practical impacts of treaties
and legislation, and personal experiences
recounted by interviewecs. Exploring how
the often brutal process of ethnic cleans-
ing established new 'facts on the ground'
that shaped subsequent land allocations
and created 'new landscapers] of land plots
and housing settlements' (6 Thathail and
Dahlman, 2006: 305), 6 Thathail extends
critical geo-politics to interrogate both the
material and discursive process of state
formation.
KEYADVANCES AND
CONTROVERSIES
In the name of heterogeneity and flex-
ibility, 6 Thathail frequently avoids
defining 'critical geopolitics', 'geopoli-
tics', 'territory', 'space' and 'sovereignty'.
Some critics question such definitional
malleability, claiming that this, coupled
with the diverse philosophical sources
drawn upon by 6 Thathail, produce
'theoretically inconstant' assessments
(Stephanson, 2000: 381). Others con-
tend that 6 l'uathaiJ's work represents
an 'extreme' critical geopolitics and is
too dismissive of, and 'disinterest[ed],
in, theorisation (Kelly, 2006: 35, 40). Fur-
ther, Kelly (2006: 42-3) maintains that
although 6 Thathail and colleagues have
taken the understanding of geo-politics
beyond current thought and practice in
political science, despite their suggestion
that a critical approach is a step towards
'emancipation' and 'the ending of hege-
monic exploitation,' critical geo-politics
offers 'neither a clear characterisation of
a better society nor a specific road map
for attaining such an improvement.'
Critical Geopolitics (6 'I'uathail, 1996a)
was well received. Heffernan (2000: 347)
comments that the book is '[i]maginative,
intellectually ambitious ... engaging [and]
outstanding' and Sharp (2000: 361) claims
Critical Geopolitics to be 'vital'. The text
stimulated a symposium at the annual
meeting of the Association of American
Geographers in 1997, subsequently pub-
lished in Political Geography. In the ensu-
ing debate, three contentions emerged.
Firstly, 6 'I'uathail is challenged for over-
relying on textual data to the detriment of
other empirical materials, such as maps,
something that is curious given the impor-
tance of visual representation to both the
geographical imagination and foreign pol-
icy strategy (see Heffernan, 2000; Smith,
2000; Sparke, 2000; Stephanson, 2000) .
Secondly, issues of embodiment and posi-
tionality of both author and subjects were
raised; as were, thirdly, contentions that 6
Thathail's text is inadvertently elitist, focus-
ing on a few 'great men' in the field of geo-
politics (Sharp, 2000), some suggesting that
6 Thathail does not do enough to locate
himself outside this canon. Dodds (1998)
Key Thinkers on Space and Place
adds that 6 Tuathail's focus is over- to intellectual games of deconstruction
w helmingly Anglo-American. rather than empirical assessments of the
In sum, critics suggest tbat 6 Tuathail material impacts of geo-politics on peo-
is guilty of what he aenlties in others - an ple's Jives. 6Thathail (2000c) responded to
assertion of a transn:lldclllal viewpoint these challenges, and his subsequent work
from where the world ,mel its political demonstrates an expansion of critical geo-
order can be viewed t ht' lIi rference being politics beyond the texts of policy elites to
that 6 Tuathail lakes il nnmtcrhegemonic studies detailing the processes of post-war
rather than hegenH1ni(' pt'rspective. Sharp house building and settlement in Bosnia
(2000) maintains thilt () 'J'uillhail elides and examining geo-political discourse in
geo-political discours('.'iill other fields, popular films such as 200 J 'sBehind Enemy
such as popular culture, nnd Smith (2000: Lilies (61uathail,2005b). Stimulated by 6
367) maintains that illtllOl1gh 6 Tuathail TuallHlil's influential contributioll to 'criti-
is sensitive to ' [rleading r;lcc and gender Cil] geopolitics' - he magnanimollsly cred-
into the texts of geopolitics', lhit> 'is simul- its Peter Taylor with c()ining this term
taneously ... a way ur reil<ling class out'. during disclissioll at thc University of
Stephanson (2000: 3HZ) charges that 6 Illinois (() 'l\wthail, 20(0) - contemporary
'}\wthail's 'attack on tot,ililliltioll ' in geo- analysis of political discourscs and their
political discourse and t(ln'i)!,11 policy itself cOllstructions of spatial powcr relations
'hln1S out ... to be a totallY,at iOI)', reducing are hence advancing political geography
the power of 6 Thathail's inluTogation into significant new arenas.
6Tuathail's KEY WORKS
Herod, A., 6 Tuat/1ail, G. and Roberts, S (edo) (1098) An Unruly World? Geography, Globalization and Governance. London:
Routledge.
6Tuathail, G.(1996f1) Critical Geopolitics: Tlw P(1lilics ofWriting Global Space. Minneapolis: Universityof MinnesotaPress.
6 Tuathail, G. and Agnew, J. (1992) 'Geopolitic,; Hnd discourse: practical geopolitical reasoning and American foreign policy',
Political Geography, 11:190-204.
6Tuathail, G.undDahlman,C.(2006)"TheWest!lall kofthe Drina":landallocation andethnicengineeringin RepublikaSrpska',
Transactions of the Institute of British Geogl"pli u/s, 3'1: 304-22.
6Tuathall, G.and Dalby, S. (eds) (1998a) Retliilli!ing Geopolitics. London:Routledge.
oTuathail, G,Dalby, S. and Routledge, P(ads) (199(3) AGeopolitics Reader. London: Routledge.
- '.. 'J
Secondary Sources and References
Atkinson, D. and Dodds, K. (2000) 'Introduction to geopolitical traditions: acentury of geopolitical thought', in K. Dodds and
D. Atkinson (eds). Geopolitical Traditions: ACentury of Geopolitical Thought. London: Routledge.pp. 1-24.
Dahlman, C. and 6 Tuathail, G. (2005a) 'Broken Bosnia: the localized geopolitics of displacement and return in two Bosnian
places', Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 95:644-62.
Gear6id 6Tualhail (Gerard Toa.
Dahlman, C. and 6Tuathail, G. (20C
Geography, 24: 569-99.
Dalby,S.and6Tuathail, G.(1996)'Edi
knowledge andpower', Political Gt;
Dodds, K. (1998)'Reviewof Critical G
Dodds, K. (2001) 'Political geography
Heffernan, M. (2000)'Balancingvisior
Kelly, P. (2006)'Acritiqueofcritical ge
Kolossov,V. and 6Tuathail, G. (2007)
Eurasian Geography and Economh
Oloughlin,J., 6Tuathail, G. and Kolo,
Asia Studies, 56:3-34.
Oloughlin,J,6Tuathail, G. and Kolm
Eurasian Geography and Economic
Oloughlin,J,6Tuathail , G.and Kolo,
Rayon, North Ossetia', Eurasian GE
6Tuathail, G. (1986)Thelanguageam
Quarterly, 5:73-85.
6Tuathail, G.(1989)'Critical geopolitic:
dissertation, Syracuse University,S)
6Tuathail, G.(1992)'Putting Mackinde
oTuathail, G. (1994) 'The critical readi
Human Geography, 18:313-32.
6Tuathail, G.(1996b)'An anti-geopoliti
6Tuathail, G. (1997 [1993]) The effaCE
Political Geography: AReader Lond,
6Tuathail, G. (1999)'Astrategicsign:tl
Society and Space, 17:515-33.
6Tuathail, G.(2000a)'Spiritualgeopoli
Geopolitical Traditions: ACentury of
6Tuathall, G.(2000b)Thepostmoderr
of the Association of American Geo!
6Tuathail, G. (2001)'A geopoliticaldisl
6Tuathail, G. (2002a) Theorizing pra(
21.601-28.
6 Tuathail ,G. (2002b) 'Post-Cold Wa
P. Taylorand M. Watts (eds). Geogl
6Tuathail, G. (2005a)'Geopolitical disl
167- 83.
6 Tuathail, G. (2005b) The frustrations
culture', Geopolitics, 10:356-77.
6Tuathail ,G. (2006) 'GeopoliticaldiSCI
tics, 11141-58.
6Tuathail, G. (2008a)TheHamiltoniar
6 Tuathail, G. (2008b) 'Russia's Kosov,
and Economics, 49:670-705.
6Tuathail, G. and Dahlman,C. (200,
Eurasian Geography and Economic;
6Tuathail, G. and Dalby, S. (1994) 'Ed
Environment and Planning 0: Socie,
6Tuathail, G. and Dalby,S. (1998b)'
S. Dalby(eds), Rethinking Geopoliti,
Painter,J. (1995) Politics, Geography a
Sharp, J. P. (2000) 'Remasculinising g'
19:361-4.
vThinkers on Space and Place
of deconstruction
irical assessments of the
; of geo-politics on peo-
thail (2000c) responded to
and his subsequent work
expansion of critical geo-
he texts of policy elites to
the processes of post-war
md settlement in Bosnia
discourse in
:h as 2001 ' s Behind Enemy
, 2005b). Stimulated by 6
ltial contribution to 'criti-
he magnanimously cred-
- with coining this term
n at the University of
lil, 2000) - contemporary
cal discourses and their
spatial power relations
lcing political geography
ewarenas.
Jalization and Governance. London:
University of Minnesota Press.
)ning and American foreign policy' ,
ic engineering in Republ ika Srpska',
!dge.
)olitical thought', in K. Dodds and
edge. pp. 1-24.
:ement and return in two Bosnian
Gear6id 6Tuathail (Gerard Toal)
Dahlman, C. and 6 Tuathail , G. (2005b) 'The legacy of ethnic cleansing: the returns process in post-Dayton Bosnia', Political
Geography, 24: 569-99.
Dalby, S. and 6Tuathail, G. (1996) 'Editorial introduction: the critical geopolitics constellation: problematizing fusions of geographical
knowledge and power', Political Geography, 15: 451-6.
Dodds, K. (1998) 'Review of Critical Geopolitics', Economic Geography, 74: 77-9.
Dodds, K. (2001) 'Political geography III: critical geopolitics after ten years' , Progress in Human Geography, 25: 469-84.
Heffernan, M. (2000) 'Balancing visions: comments on Gear6id 6 Tuathail's critical geopolitics', Political Geography, 19: 347-52.
Kelly, P. (2006) 'A critique of critical geopolitics' , Geopolitics, 11: 24-53.
Kolossov, V. and 6 Tuathail, G. (2007) 'An empire's fraying edge? The North Caucasus instability in Russian geopolitical culture' ,
Eurasian Geography and Economics, 48: 202- 25.
O'Loughlin, J., 6Tuathail , G. and Kol ossov, V. (2004) 'A "risky westward turn"? Putin's 9-11 script and ordinary Russians', Europe
Asia Studies, 56: 3-34.
Oloughlin, J., 6Tuathail , G. and Kolossov,V. (2006) 'The geop; litlcal orientations of ordinary Russians: a public opinion analysis' ,
Eurasian Geography and Economics, 47: 158-81.
Oloughlin, J., 6Tuathai l, G. and Kolossov, V. (2008) 'The localized geopolitics of displacement and return in Eastern Prigorodnyy
Rayon, North Ossetia', Eurasian Geography and Economics, 49: 635- 99.
6Tuathail , G. (1986) 'The language and nature of the "new" geopolitics: The case of US-EI Salvador relati ons' , Political Geography
Quarterly, S: 73-85.
6Tuathail, G. (1 989) 'Critical geopolitics: the social construction of place and space in the practice of statecraft', Unpublished PhD
dissertation, Syracuse University, Syracuse.
6Tuathail, G. (1992) 'Putting Mackinder in his place: material transformations and myth', Political Geography, 11: 100-18.
6 Tuathail, G. (1994) 'The critical reading/writing of geopolitics: re-reading/writing Wittfogel , Bowman and Lacoste', Progress in
Human Geography, 18: 313-32.
6Tuathail, G. (1996b) 'An anti-geopolitical eye? Maggie O'Kane in Bosnia, 1992-94', Gender, Place and Culture, 3: 171-85.
6 Tuathail, G. (1997 [1993]) 'The effacement of place? US foreign policy and the spatiality of the Gulf Crisis' , in J. Agnew (ed.),
Political Geography: A Reader. London: Edward Arnold. pp. 140-64.
6Tuathail , G. (1999) 'A strategic sign: the geopolitical significance of "Bosnia" in US foreign policy', Environment and Planning 0:
Society and Space, 17: 515-33.
6 Tuathail, G. (2000a)'Spiritual geopolitics: Father Edmund Walsh and Jesuit anticommunism' , in K. Dodds and D. Atkinson (eds),
Geopolitical Traditions: A Century of Geopolitical Thought. London: Routledge. pp. 187- 210.
6Tuathail , G. (2000b) 'The postmodern geopolitical condition: states, statecraft, and security into the twenty-first century', Annals
of the Association of American Geographers, 90: 166-78.
6 Tuathai l, G. (2001) 'A geopoli tical discourse with Robert McNamara', Geopolitics, 5: 129-44.
6 Tuathail, G. (2002a). 'Theorizing practical geopolitical reasoning: the case of US Bosnia policy in 1992', Political Geography,
21: 601-28.
6 Tuathail , G. (2002b) 'Post-Cold War geopolitics: contrasting superpowers in a world of global dangers', in R. J. Johnston,
P. Taylor and M. Watts (eds), Geographies of Global Change. Oxford: Blackwell. pp. 174-89.
6 Tuathai l, G. (2005a) 'Geopoli ti cal discourse: a conversation with Peter Galbraith about Iraq and state building' , Geopolitics, 10:
167-83.
6 Tuathail , G. (2005b) 'The frustrations of geopolitics and the pleasures of war : Behind Enemy Lines and American geopolitical
culture', Geopolitics, 10: 356-77.
6 Tuathail , G. (2006) 'Geopolitical discourse: Paddy Ashdown and the tenth anniversary of the Dayton Peace Accords' , Geopoli-
tics, 11: 141-58.
6Tuathail , G. (2008a) 'The Hamiltonian nationalist: a conversation with Michael Lind', Geopolitics, 13: 169-80.
6 Tuathail, G. (2008b) 'Russia's Kosovo: a critical geopolitics of the August 2008 war over South Ossetia', Eurasian Geography
and Economies, 49: 670-705.
6 Tuathail, G. and Dahlman, C. (2004) 'The effort to reverse ethnic cleansing in Bosnia-Herzegovina: the limits of returns',
Eurasian Geography and Economics, 45: 429-53.
6Tuathail, G. and Dalby, S. (1994) 'Editorial: critical geopoli tics - unfolding spaces for thought in geography and global politics' ,
Environment and Planning 0: Society and Space, 12: 513- 14.
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Painter, J. (1995) Politics, Geography and 'Political Geography': A Critical Perspective. London: Arnold.
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19: 361-4.
l
,
Key Thinkers on Space and Place
Smith, N. (2000) 'Is a critical geopolitics possible? Foucault, class and the vision thing', Political Geography, 19: 365-71.
Sparke, M. (2000) 'Graphing the geo in geo-political: Critical Geopolitics and the re-visioning of responsibility' , Political Geography,
19: 373-80.
Stephanson, A. (2000) 'Commentary on Gear6id 0Tuathail's Critical Geopolitics', Political Geography, 19: 381-3.
Toal, G/O Tuathail , G. (2000c) 'Dis/placing the geo-politics which one cannot not want', Political Geography, 19: 385-90.
Euan Hague, DePaul University
BIOGRAPHICAL D
THEORETICAL CO
Waldo Tobler was born
Swiss parents living in
west of the US. After s(
and in Switzerland and
American army, he stue
sity of British Columbia
first cartography course
He transferred to the U
ington, where he receiv
his MA in 1957 and his
dissertation entitled 'M,
of geographic space'. r
group who studied un(
and William Garrison
the late 1950s, a group t
Berry, Duane Marble,
John Nystuen, Michae
liam Bunge. This plac(
tre of what is often te
'quantitative revolutio
subsequently describec
most exciting time', no
his academic concern v
theories rather than nu
Tobler spent 16 ye,
1977, at the Univer
(with John Nystuen an
Here he developed hi
puter programming
and learnt differential
proved invaluable for