Who Will Defend Europe?
An Awakened Russia and a Sleeping Continent
Will be published approx. on 25. November 2025
Book
Paperback/Softback
280 pages
978-1-80526-498-9 (ISBN)
Description
Russia is intent on attacking beyond Ukraine. Can Europe defend itself?
While Ukraine holds back Russia's onslaught, Moscow has been working hard at rebuilding its army for the next invasion. But for the past 30 years, Britain and Europe have been running down their armed forces and defence industries, thinking that war would never come. Most of the continent banked an increasingly illusory 'peace dividend' while outsourcing defence to the United States.
Now, change in the US and clear intent from the Kremlin have set Europe scrambling to rebuild its defences. But will it be enough, and can it be in time?
In this urgent, vital book, Keir Giles lays out the stark choices facing leaders and societies as they confront the return of war in Europe. If the freedom and prosperity that the continent takes for granted are to be preserved, the sacrifices required will affect everyone, without exception. Above all, Giles calls for new leadership in defence of Europe as the US steps aside-and warns that the UK's brief opportunity to set the pace has already been squandered.
While Ukraine holds back Russia's onslaught, Moscow has been working hard at rebuilding its army for the next invasion. But for the past 30 years, Britain and Europe have been running down their armed forces and defence industries, thinking that war would never come. Most of the continent banked an increasingly illusory 'peace dividend' while outsourcing defence to the United States.
Now, change in the US and clear intent from the Kremlin have set Europe scrambling to rebuild its defences. But will it be enough, and can it be in time?
In this urgent, vital book, Keir Giles lays out the stark choices facing leaders and societies as they confront the return of war in Europe. If the freedom and prosperity that the continent takes for granted are to be preserved, the sacrifices required will affect everyone, without exception. Above all, Giles calls for new leadership in defence of Europe as the US steps aside-and warns that the UK's brief opportunity to set the pace has already been squandered.
Reviews / Votes
'Richly documented and persuasively argued.' -- <b><i>The Spectator World</i></b> 'A blistering account of our defence shortcomings.' -- <b>Edward Lucas, <I>The Times</I></b> 'A powerful warning.' -- <b><I>iNews</I></b> '[Giles] elegantly weaves together isolationism in the United States, failures of Europe's leadership, and the collective naivete of the West in understanding the imperialist threat of Putin's Russia.' -- <b><I>Foreign Policy</I></b> 'Timely and excellent.' -- <b><I>The Australian Financial Review</I></b> 'In Giles's view, Russian aggression after 2022, uncertainty about American intentions during the 2024 election, and Europe's failure to stiffen resilience on all fronts have placed Europe in a much weaker position than is necessary for its own protection.' * <b><I>CHOICE</I></b> * 'A powerful and urgent analysis of Europe's looming security challenges-this book is a wake-up call for anyone who cares about the future of the continent.' -- <b>Eliot Higgins, Director, Founder of Bellingcat</b> 'Keir Giles has been warning us for many years of Russia's determination to re-arm, remilitarise and rebuild an empire. Now he offers a stark warning for Europe and the world: the only alternative to planning for a war is planning to lose it.' -- <b>Anne Applebaum, author of <i>Autocracy, Inc: The Dictators Who Want to Run the World</i></b> 'Russia's intent can no longer be denied-but as Keir Giles explains in chilling detail, Europe's defences are lagging behind the threat. This book is a vital call to action to preserve the way of life Europe takes for granted, before it is too late.' -- <b>Toomas Hendrik Ilves, former president of Estonia</b> 'A forcefully argued, often bitingly vehement attack on the state of European security policy in the wake of Russia's expanded invasion of Ukraine.' -- <b><I>Diplomatic Courier</I></b> 'A well-written book, offering detailed insights and perspectives on the gravity of Europe's security situation, which will have spillover effects worldwide.' -- <b><I>The Strategist</I></b> 'A product of rigorous academic research resulting in strongly justified argument, analysis and evaluation.' -- <b><i>CHACR Critique</i></b> 'Keir Giles is always worth reading and listening to, and his latest (but not, I hope, last) book about the recent and current Russian political system is no exception.' -- <b><I>East-West Review</I></b> '[Giles] has some excellent points to make.' -- <b><I>The Naval Review</I></b> 'Keir Giles presents the reader with a disturbing catalogue of Europe's weaknesses, and how Russia is planning to exploit them. As regards Europe and the West in general, Russia is a hostile actor, has always been, and will always be, and collectively, Europe should expect that Russia will exploit to the fullest, not just the vulnerabilities it can create, but the vulnerabilities Europe has created for itself.' -- <b>Gen John R. Allen, US Marine Corps (Ret), former commander NATO International Security Assistance Force (ISAF)</b> 'This vital book brutally exposes the impact of decades of Western European defence complacency and why it must be addressed before it is too late. Keir Giles also calls for a new generation of visionary statesmen to lead us out of the disaster confronting us.' -- <b>Lord Richards of Herstmonceux, former Chief of the Defence Staff</b> 'In this superb book, Keir Giles makes the point that while it may be expensive to pay for a useful military deterrent, it is vastly more expensive to fight a war if deterrence fails. Giles makes a compelling and well-argued case for much increased European investment in defence and national resilience. His book should be a clarion call for our political leaders and citizens to act decisively and with purpose.' -- <b>Maj-Gen Mick Ryan, Australian Army (Ret), currently the Senior Fellow for Military Studies at the Lowy Institute in Sydney</b> 'Once again, Keir Giles is trying to save us from our own lethargy with his crisp, insightful analysis of Russia's threat to Europe. His clear-eyed assessment ... should jolt all of us into action.' -- <b>Lt-Gen Ben Hodges, Commander, US Army Europe, 2014-17 (Ret)</b> 'The most important book on European security since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. I highly recommend it.' -- <b>Jason Davidson, Non-Resident Senior Fellow, Atlantic Council, and Professor of Political Science and International Affairs, University of Mary Washington</b>More details
Edition
New edition
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Edition type
New edition
Dimensions
Height: 211 mm
Width: 134 mm
Thickness: 24 mm
Weight
384 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-80526-498-9 (9781805264989)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
12/2025
Hurst Publishers
€16.49
Available for download
Previous edition
Book
10/2024
C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd
€30.50
Shipment within 3-4 weeks
Person
Keir Giles has advised governments worldwide on the Russian threat. A senior fellow with Chatham House's Russia programme, and Director of the Conflict Studies Research Centre, he is a regular commentator for the BBC and international media. His prescient books include What Deters Russia and Moscow Rules.