A Novel of the Next World War
By: Elliot Ackerman, Admiral James Stavridis USN
Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller, P.J. Ochlan, Vikas Adam, Dion Graham, Feodor Chin

This book presents a global view of vulnerabilities and the formidable challenges that may define a future conflict. It jolts the reader out of comfortable assumptions and compels an engagement with scenarios that feel both unsettling and plausible. I value works that force me to consider perspectives I do not share, and while I often found myself at odds with how Ackerman and Admiral Stavridis constructed their vision, such disagreement does not diminish the cogency of the argument.

The narrative is timely and disquieting. It envisions a confrontation many consider inevitable: a war with China over Taiwan–and portrays the United States as a cornered power, willing to employ measures that border on the unthinkable in order to prevail.

I do not regard Admiral Stavridis as prescient, yet I remain grateful for the clarity and urgency of the view he and Ackerman provide. And perhaps, if history proves them right, we will discover that we once had not only an admiral, but a fortune teller commanding the fleet.