The Choosing 2026 :

This book, subtitled “the stories behind the lines on our maps” sets out that people have been drawing lines on maps for as long as there have been maps to draw on. Sometimes rooted in physical geography, sometimes entirely arbitrary, these lines might often have looked very different if a war or treaty or the decisions of a handful of tired Europeans had gone a different way.  By telling the stories of these borders we can learn a lot about how political identities are shaped, why the world looks the way it does and about the scale of human folly.

The book is in 48 easily digestible chapters with an approximate chronology which will allow you to dip in and out if you struggle to read a whole book. We can all choose a favourite chapter or two on the night of discussion and there will also be a mapping test for you all to enjoy (or endure.)