The Coming Storm: Power, Conflict, and Warnings from History
ISBN
Publisher
Imprint
Year Published
Print Length
Format
SKU
9781250410283
Henry Holt and Co.
N/A
2026
256 pages
Paperback
26176
Original price was: ₨7,195.00.₨1,395.00Current price is: ₨1,395.00.
From a renowned Yale historian comes a chilling look at the looming threat of the next Great Power war and the urgent interventions necessary to avoid it in the twenty-first century.
Description
The vast majority of people alive today have come of age in a world of remarkable stability, presided over by either one or two Superpowers. This is not to say the world has been peaceful; but it has, to a great extent, been predictable. As an increasing number of Great Powers jostle for regional supremacy, as well as competitive advantage in nuclear technology, artificial intelligence, space exploration, and trade, our world has become more fragile, unpredictable―and combustible. The outbreak of global war among today’s Great Powers seems increasingly likely. Such war, as Odd Arne Westad powerfully argues in this urgent book, would be of a magnitude and devastation never before seen.
To understand the threats that face us in this complex new terrain, we must look to the lessons of the past, and especially the late nineteenth and early twentieth century―a time when Great Powers clashed and sought regional dominance, nationalism and populism were on the rise, and many felt that globalization had failed them; a time when tariffs increased, immigration and terrorism were among the biggest issues of the day, and a growing number of people blamed the citizens of other countries for their problems. A time, in other words, that carries eerie parallels with our own.
Praise and Reviews
"Odd Arne Westad makes the case that the world we are entering bears striking similarities to that of the late 19th and early 20th Century, as Britain's hegemony began to give way and a rising Germany sought its place in the sun. Historical analogies are usually difficult to sustain, but Westad brings so much erudition, intelligence, and insight to the table that he pulls it off! This is a short book on a big subject that will make you think long after you put it down."
―Fareed Zakaria, author of Age of Revolutions------------------------------
"This may be the most important book you read this year. The Great Power peace of the last 80 years is ending as the U.S., China, Russia and others compete for global power. Yale historian Arne Westad traces history's lessons that may help us to prevent a future great power war."
―Nicholas Burns, Harvard Kennedy School Professor and former U.S. Ambassador to China------------------------------
"Striking... a fluently written and wide-ranging book... It is not that Westad sees any inevitability in 'The Coming Storm' of which he warns, but rather that he sees danger in the repeat of a mix of volatile personalities, changing power relationships and emerging technologies."
―Bill Emmott, Financial Times------------------------------
“Odd Arne Westad, a preeminent historian of modern China and its international role, has written a passionate and informed warning about the very real prospects today for great-power war in light of the origins of World War I. But he recognizes analogies need not be fate and proposes policies needed to avert catastrophe. Can we and our leaders walk the knife-edge?”
―Charles S. Maier, professor emeritus of history, Harvard University------------------------------
"The Coming Storm is an urgent and insightful book that speaks directly to the current moment. Odd Arne Westad offers a timely wake-up call about the risks we face as global tensions rise. It is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand where the world may be headed and how we might still change course."
―Stephen Hadley, former US National Security Adviser
About the Author
Odd Arne Westad is the Elihu Professor of History and Global Affairs at Yale University. He is a scholar of modern international and global history, with a specialization in the history of eastern Asia since the eighteenth century. Westad is the author of The Global Cold War, which won the Bancroft Prize, and Restless Empire, winner of the Asia Society Book Award. He lives in New Haven, Connecticut.
The Coming Storm: Power, Conflict, and Warnings from History
By : Odd Arne Westad
From a renowned Yale historian comes a chilling look at the looming threat of the next Great Power war and the urgent interventions necessary to avoid it in the twenty-first century.
Description
The vast majority of people alive today have come of age in a world of remarkable stability, presided over by either one or two Superpowers. This is not to say the world has been peaceful; but it has, to a great extent, been predictable. As an increasing number of Great Powers jostle for regional supremacy, as well as competitive advantage in nuclear technology, artificial intelligence, space exploration, and trade, our world has become more fragile, unpredictable―and combustible. The outbreak of global war among today’s Great Powers seems increasingly likely. Such war, as Odd Arne Westad powerfully argues in this urgent book, would be of a magnitude and devastation never before seen.
To understand the threats that face us in this complex new terrain, we must look to the lessons of the past, and especially the late nineteenth and early twentieth century―a time when Great Powers clashed and sought regional dominance, nationalism and populism were on the rise, and many felt that globalization had failed them; a time when tariffs increased, immigration and terrorism were among the biggest issues of the day, and a growing number of people blamed the citizens of other countries for their problems. A time, in other words, that carries eerie parallels with our own.
Praise and Reviews
"Odd Arne Westad makes the case that the world we are entering bears striking similarities to that of the late 19th and early 20th Century, as Britain's hegemony began to give way and a rising Germany sought its place in the sun. Historical analogies are usually difficult to sustain, but Westad brings so much erudition, intelligence, and insight to the table that he pulls it off! This is a short book on a big subject that will make you think long after you put it down."
―Fareed Zakaria, author of Age of Revolutions------------------------------
"This may be the most important book you read this year. The Great Power peace of the last 80 years is ending as the U.S., China, Russia and others compete for global power. Yale historian Arne Westad traces history's lessons that may help us to prevent a future great power war."
―Nicholas Burns, Harvard Kennedy School Professor and former U.S. Ambassador to China------------------------------
"Striking... a fluently written and wide-ranging book... It is not that Westad sees any inevitability in 'The Coming Storm' of which he warns, but rather that he sees danger in the repeat of a mix of volatile personalities, changing power relationships and emerging technologies."
―Bill Emmott, Financial Times------------------------------
“Odd Arne Westad, a preeminent historian of modern China and its international role, has written a passionate and informed warning about the very real prospects today for great-power war in light of the origins of World War I. But he recognizes analogies need not be fate and proposes policies needed to avert catastrophe. Can we and our leaders walk the knife-edge?”
―Charles S. Maier, professor emeritus of history, Harvard University------------------------------
"The Coming Storm is an urgent and insightful book that speaks directly to the current moment. Odd Arne Westad offers a timely wake-up call about the risks we face as global tensions rise. It is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand where the world may be headed and how we might still change course."
―Stephen Hadley, former US National Security Adviser
About the Author
Odd Arne Westad is the Elihu Professor of History and Global Affairs at Yale University. He is a scholar of modern international and global history, with a specialization in the history of eastern Asia since the eighteenth century. Westad is the author of The Global Cold War, which won the Bancroft Prize, and Restless Empire, winner of the Asia Society Book Award. He lives in New Haven, Connecticut.
