Friedman examines the geopolitical flashpoints in Europe in which imminent future conflicts are brewing. He zooms in on the region that has, for 500 years, been the cultural hotbed of the world, and examines the most basic building block of the region: culture. Analyzing the fault lines that have existed for centuries, and which have led to two world wars and dozens more conflicts, he goes through the 'flashpoints' that are still smoldering beneath the surface and are on course to erupt again.

"A major new book by New York Times bestselling author and geopolitical forecaster George Friedman (The Next 100 Years, The Next Decade) with a bold thesis about coming conflict in the world, this provocative work examines the geopolitical flashpoints--particularly in Europe--in which imminent future conflicts are brewing. George Friedman has forecasted the coming trends (politics, technology, population, and culture) of the next century in The Next 100 Years, and focused his predictions on the coming ten years in The Next Decade. Now, in Flashpoints, Friedman zooms in on the region that has, for five hundred years, been the cultural hotbed of the world--Europe--and examines the most basic and fascinating building block of the region: culture. Analyzing the fault lines that have existed for centuries--and which have led to two world wars and dozens more conflicts--Friedman walks us through the 'flashpoints' that are still smoldering beneath the surface and are on course to erupt again.