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Statecraft: The essential read to understand our world - as featured on The Rest is Politics
'Indispensable – brilliantly grounded in first-hand experience and telling detail. Compelling' – Rory Stewart, bestselling author of Politics on the Edge
From top defence analyst Jack Watling, Statecraft reveals how states collaborate, compete and fight in this era of global turmoil.
Why did Russia struggle in the early months of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine?
Why does Israel ignore international pressure on Gaza?
Why does the UK spend billions on aircraft carriers that it struggles to support at sea?
How do smaller states shape world events when dwarfed by superpowers?
The world today is gripped by conflict. Whether in Ukraine, the Middle East or Taiwan, we are in a period of intense power competition. In Statecraft, Dr Jack Watling takes you behind the scenes to meet the world’s powerbrokers in their wood-panelled offices, and the bunkers from which battles are coordinated.
With a career spent on the ground in conflict zones, and advising generals and political leaders, Watling examines the dilemmas that states face to get ahead, no matter their size. From economic alliances and global trade to sea power and military technology, Statecraft provides a powerful new lens to understand geopolitics in a divided world.
‘Anyone interested in geopolitics should read it’ – Anne Applebaum, bestselling author of Autocracy, Inc
From top defence analyst Jack Watling, Statecraft reveals how states collaborate, compete and fight in this era of global turmoil.
Why did Russia struggle in the early months of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine?
Why does Israel ignore international pressure on Gaza?
Why does the UK spend billions on aircraft carriers that it struggles to support at sea?
How do smaller states shape world events when dwarfed by superpowers?
The world today is gripped by conflict. Whether in Ukraine, the Middle East or Taiwan, we are in a period of intense power competition. In Statecraft, Dr Jack Watling takes you behind the scenes to meet the world’s powerbrokers in their wood-panelled offices, and the bunkers from which battles are coordinated.
With a career spent on the ground in conflict zones, and advising generals and political leaders, Watling examines the dilemmas that states face to get ahead, no matter their size. From economic alliances and global trade to sea power and military technology, Statecraft provides a powerful new lens to understand geopolitics in a divided world.
‘Anyone interested in geopolitics should read it’ – Anne Applebaum, bestselling author of Autocracy, Inc
391 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 19, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
May 4, 2026
I liked it, mostly interesting on recent events and attempts to provide a bit of insider knowledge. Just not always the most entertaining listen.
Goes without saying that Donald Trump could benefit from reading it. Particularly chapter 3 on choke points
Goes without saying that Donald Trump could benefit from reading it. Particularly chapter 3 on choke points
May 3, 2026
This book covers diverse intl conflicts (Ukraine, Mali, Iraq, Yemen etc), but with the aim of understanding Western foreign policy. Instead of organising the book by conflict, the chapters focus on individual aspects of statecraft like dependence, choke points, values etc. This allows Watling to draw on a diverse lens on an issue (military, economic, diplomatic etc).
Watling's point is that the policy establishment fails at strategic thinking and implementation. Instead they veer from one crisis to the next, investing resources after outcomes are largely decided. Strategic reviews are diluted down by inter-governmental processes. He thinks leaders need to re-orient towards statecraft in order to positively influence the world.
I thought this was an unusual book, but it worked. The details on each conflict weren't lost in the ambition of the book, possibly because of Watling's background in journalism. It also illustrates the theories very well as they're discussed with regards to 5 different conflicts.
That said, the following didn't work for me:
- It was sometimes hard to follow exactly what happened in the less well known conflicts when they were last discussed 5 chapters ago. It mostly did a good job of providing the necessary context at the time of writing, but occasionally I lost the thread.
- Although the analysis is compelling, it's hard to see how it can be applied to actually shape strategy. It's hard to know which lens is important at any point in time. To put it in scientific language, the framework has too many free variables.
Still, I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in foreign affairs.
Watling's point is that the policy establishment fails at strategic thinking and implementation. Instead they veer from one crisis to the next, investing resources after outcomes are largely decided. Strategic reviews are diluted down by inter-governmental processes. He thinks leaders need to re-orient towards statecraft in order to positively influence the world.
I thought this was an unusual book, but it worked. The details on each conflict weren't lost in the ambition of the book, possibly because of Watling's background in journalism. It also illustrates the theories very well as they're discussed with regards to 5 different conflicts.
That said, the following didn't work for me:
- It was sometimes hard to follow exactly what happened in the less well known conflicts when they were last discussed 5 chapters ago. It mostly did a good job of providing the necessary context at the time of writing, but occasionally I lost the thread.
- Although the analysis is compelling, it's hard to see how it can be applied to actually shape strategy. It's hard to know which lens is important at any point in time. To put it in scientific language, the framework has too many free variables.
Still, I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in foreign affairs.
April 13, 2026
useful as a framework
April 14, 2026
Really interesting capture for this geopolitical moment in time.
May 17, 2026
This is the sort of thing everyone in international policy needs to read.
May 17, 2026
Great primer for understanding what’s happening in contemporary international politics. The insider-analyst narrative style would benefit from more figures/illustrations.
May 5, 2026
Insightful, clearly presented, skilled analysis - a timely book that should be read by everyone, most especially those in positions of power in their countries. Be forewarned if you have little power to change world events, as this book will terrify. Read it anyway - it's that informative and that well written. It helps make sense of current geopolitical situations. And this book may inspire one to take steps to change things for a better future.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews