Description

An urgent call-to-action outlining how we can prevent a global conflict in the near-future from Tobias Ellwood, former Defence Minister and Chair of the House of Commons Defence Committee.

‘Crucial reading on why our global order has come apart at the seams’ – WILLIAM HAGUE

‘Thoughtful, thought-provoking and clear-eyed’ – PETER FRANKOPAN

‘An expert voice for troubled times’ – JOHN KERRY

Every day, a new headline. War in the Middle East between Trump’s America and Iran. Israel and Palestine in a never-ending conflict. Putin’s Russia and Ukraine in a battle that threatens the autonomy of Europe. China on a mission to extend its global reach. The world is closer than it ever has been to midnight on the Doomsday Clock.

Tobias Ellwood is an expert in geopolitics and military strategy. As former Foreign Minister, Defence Minister, Chair of the House of Commons Defence Committee and an officer in the British Army’s Royal Green Jackets, he is uniquely placed to offer solutions to the crises affecting our global order. In ten steps, he shows us exactly what is at stake, how we got here, and how we can build an exit plan to prevent regional conflict escalating into global war.

‘Engaging and insightful, this book … offers practical steps that world leaders and everyday citizens alike can take to navigate them with purpose’ – GENERAL JIM MATTIS, USMC RTD

Publisher Review

This book provides much-needed thinking on why the international rules-based system has come apart at the seams, while setting out ten bold proposals for stitching it back together again. Crucial reading for anyone who wants to see the West shake itself out of its golden age of complacency... crucial reading on why our global order has come apart at the seams. * William Hague * A thoughtful, thought-provoking and clear-eyed assessment of a rapidly changing world - and an urgent call to action * Peter Frankopan * An expert voice for troubled times - compelling, persuasive and prescient * John Kerry * A fresh, provocative, and terrifying portrait of the crumbling world order by a man with an intimate personal experience of defence, terrorism, politics, and foreign affairs, reflecting his striking physical and moral courage. * Rory Stewart * Tobias Ellwood draws on history and his own experience in government and the military to deliver a very compelling assessment of the threats defining our era. Engaging and insightful, this book maps the challenges ahead with precision and offers practical steps that world leaders and everyday citizens alike can take to navigate them with purpose. * General Jim Mattis (USMC - retired) * A welcome and timely call to arms to rebuild our resilience and ditch the continuity complacency that has left us so vulnerable and bewildered. Critically, Tobias reminds us that we are capable of achieving this, it is just a matter of political will. * Penny Mordaunt * This is a smart and considered book everyone should read. Tobias Ellwood takes the big, complicated forces shaping our troubled world and explains them with clarity and urgency. If you want to consider how close we are to a global conflict and what could prevent it... start here. * Kay Burley * A chilling foretaste of what could be to come with compelling research and inside knowledge, written at the pace of a page-turning novel. It can only be hoped those in power look and learn. * Nick Ferrari * Tobias Ellwood tackles the issues our political class have been avoiding. He catalogues with uncomfortable clarity Western drift in the face of assertive and ambitious authoritarianism, and sets out what must be done while there is still time. Informed, direct, and strategically serious - exactly the kind of intervention the moment of peril demands.' * Lord Sedwill, former cabinet secretary and national security adviser * Tobias Ellwood draws deeply on his experience as soldier and politician for this razor-sharp analysis of our disordered world, coupled with wise advice on to avoid disaster. Strongly recommended. * Peter Ricketts *