Statecraft

'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-panelled 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.

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.