Statecraft
The New Rules of Power in a Divided World
Published on 19. March 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
368 pages
978-1-0350-5906-5 (ISBN)
Description
Gripping . . . packed with fascinating detail' - Financial Times
'Indispensable - brilliantly grounded in first-hand experience. Compelling' - Rory Stewart, author of Politics on the Edge
'Anyone interested in geopolitics should read it' - Anne Applebaum, author of Autocracy, Inc
How do states actually exercise power in an age of chaos?
From top defense analyst Dr. Jack Watling, Statecraft reveals the hidden mechanics of global influence. While we watch the headlines, Watling takes us inside the bunkers and wood-paneled offices where the real decisions are made.
In this urgent analysis, you will discover:
The Iran Paradox: How a sanctioned nation controls global energy prices despite US military might.
The Russia-Ukraine Lesson: Why a superpower struggled against a smaller neighbor in the opening months of the invasion.
The Aircraft Carrier Dilemma: Why the UK spends billions on hardware it can barely support at sea.
The Future of Taiwan: What the shifting 'rules of power' mean for the next great flashpoint.
Middle Powers: How do smaller countries build leverage and stay off the menu?
Whether it's economic alliances, sea power, or the latest military technology, Watling provides a powerful new lens to understand a world that feels increasingly out of control.
'Indispensable - brilliantly grounded in first-hand experience. Compelling' - Rory Stewart, author of Politics on the Edge
'Anyone interested in geopolitics should read it' - Anne Applebaum, author of Autocracy, Inc
How do states actually exercise power in an age of chaos?
From top defense analyst Dr. Jack Watling, Statecraft reveals the hidden mechanics of global influence. While we watch the headlines, Watling takes us inside the bunkers and wood-paneled offices where the real decisions are made.
In this urgent analysis, you will discover:
The Iran Paradox: How a sanctioned nation controls global energy prices despite US military might.
The Russia-Ukraine Lesson: Why a superpower struggled against a smaller neighbor in the opening months of the invasion.
The Aircraft Carrier Dilemma: Why the UK spends billions on hardware it can barely support at sea.
The Future of Taiwan: What the shifting 'rules of power' mean for the next great flashpoint.
Middle Powers: How do smaller countries build leverage and stay off the menu?
Whether it's economic alliances, sea power, or the latest military technology, Watling provides a powerful new lens to understand a world that feels increasingly out of control.
Reviews / Votes
'Gripping . . . packed with fascinating detail . . . ranges from first-person reportage from the trenches of Ukraine to analysis of the chokepoints in the world economy, including the Strait of Hormuz' -- <i>Financial Times</i> An indispensable book on strategy - brilliantly grounded in first-hand experience and telling detail. [Statecraft is] blunt about the failures and structural defects in policy [and] thoughtful, serious and compelling -- Rory Stewart, bestselling author of <i>Politics on the Edge</i> Jack Watling has rewritten Clausewitz for the modern world, using stories and taking lessons from Ukraine to Mali to Taiwan. Anyone interested in geopolitics should read it -- Anne Applebaum, bestselling author of <i>Autocracy, Inc</i> Through narrative and analysis, Statecraft explores the key factors that decide success or failure in resolving conflict or chaos. Jack Watling draws on his own stories to weave a narrative that gets underneath events - from Afghanistan to Ukraine - with which we might be familiar, but through this book, can better understand.Statecraft is an astonishing book, full of stories and details, drawn from Jack Watling's unique experience from the front line in conflict zones all over the world. Through it, we are able to evaluate what determines success and failure, and how we might better prepare for an uncertain future. -- Rt Hon Baroness Catherine Ashton LG GCMG 'While Statecraft is a detailed, often surgical, book, its overall effect is therapeutic. Reading it one can start to imagine a road map through the crazy car crashes of the post-rules-based world, and how we can unite the disparate tools we still possess to truly take back control' -- <i>The Spectator</i>
More details
Edition
Air Iri OME
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Pan Macmillan
Target group
Interest Age: From 18 years
Product notice
Paperback (UK-trade)
Dimensions
Height: 232 mm
Width: 153 mm
Thickness: 29 mm
Weight
454 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-0350-5906-5 (9781035059065)
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
03/2026
Macmillan
€21.99
Available for download
Person
Jack Watling is Senior Research Fellow for Land Warfare at the Royal United Services Institute in London. He works closely with the British, Ukrainian and American military, and advises governments on security and strategy.
He was formerly a Global Fellow at the Wilson Center in Washington DC and is the author of The Arms of the Future: Technology and Close Combat in the Twenty-First Century. Originally a journalist, he has contributed to Reuters, The Atlantic, Foreign Policy and The Guardian, among others.
Statecraft is his book about how states collaborate, compete and fight in an era of global turmoil.
He was formerly a Global Fellow at the Wilson Center in Washington DC and is the author of The Arms of the Future: Technology and Close Combat in the Twenty-First Century. Originally a journalist, he has contributed to Reuters, The Atlantic, Foreign Policy and The Guardian, among others.
Statecraft is his book about how states collaborate, compete and fight in an era of global turmoil.