As I said, I don't read him uncritically at all; he's a fave of the neo-cons and adviser to the Bush administration. But he's also extremely competent, as even his opponents grudgingly admit. And it's not exceptional for area specialists to dislike their subject of study. The Sovietologists did as well; and their analyses were often sound.

That said, his earlier books are better, but I recommend this one for its accessibility, with the stated reservations.

About the other thingy - Denmark and Norway as symbols - you are probably right.

(Comment deleted and reposted due to humiliating grammatical errors...)

The world's northernmost desert wind.