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Danger On Our Doorstep
An unsettling assessment of how - and when - war with China might break out and the consequences for the world, from bestselling author, ex-major general Jim Molan
What are Australia's options in confronting a rising and belligerent China?
For the first time in nearly 80 years, war on our doorstop is not just possible, it is likely. Former army major general and Liberal Party senator Jim Molan has fought wars, reviewed intelligence, participated in government and conducted business in hotspots across the world, making him an expert in evaluating risk and reward in perilous military situations.
In this sober assessment, Molan examines the present and growing danger of China's rise, not just to Taiwan, Japan and other countries in the immediate region, but also to the geopolitical balance of power as it has existed since the end of World War II. He suggests what China's endgame is, how war might start, what war with China would look like and, importantly, what Australia's best interests and options are. Acknowledging the increasing awareness of possible conflict, he stresses how important it is to prepare for the right war, not the war we would prefer to fight, or the one we think might never happen.
What are Australia's options in confronting a rising and belligerent China?
For the first time in nearly 80 years, war on our doorstop is not just possible, it is likely. Former army major general and Liberal Party senator Jim Molan has fought wars, reviewed intelligence, participated in government and conducted business in hotspots across the world, making him an expert in evaluating risk and reward in perilous military situations.
In this sober assessment, Molan examines the present and growing danger of China's rise, not just to Taiwan, Japan and other countries in the immediate region, but also to the geopolitical balance of power as it has existed since the end of World War II. He suggests what China's endgame is, how war might start, what war with China would look like and, importantly, what Australia's best interests and options are. Acknowledging the increasing awareness of possible conflict, he stresses how important it is to prepare for the right war, not the war we would prefer to fight, or the one we think might never happen.
304 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2022
50 people are currently reading
92 people want to read
About the author
Jim Molan
4 books5 followersMajor General Andrew James Molan, AO, DSC was an Australian politician and major general in the Australian Army. He was a Senator for New South Wales from November 2019 until his death in January 2023, representing the Liberal Party. He also served as a Senator for New South Wales from December 2017 to June 2019. - Wikipedia
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
November 11, 2022
Positives: Jim Molan’s book is thought provoking, highlights many of Australia’s poor defence decisions (such as the various recent submarine deals and lack of defence spending), and outlines ways in which australia could improve our security.
Negatives: The book uses far too much hyperbole in an attempt to grab the reader’s attention, and in my opinion is far too pessimistic. The scenario given for a war with China while initially backed with realistic reasoning, is overcome with pessimistic and downright unrealistic expectations of the Chinese and US (and allies) military capabilities. These namely being, the massive over-expectation of the Chinese military to perform better than any military seen throughout history. And the US to completely underperform given its track record, and to be completely abandoned by its allies, and for Australia to be left almost completely defenceless and without any options except to accept CCP dominance.
Jim uses far too much space in his book to make a plug for the coalition. And while stating to not be war mongering throughout, by the end it is difficult to see the book as anything but warmongering.
I would not recommend this book unless you have a background in this field and are able to read Jim’s book and it’s hyperbole with a sceptical mind.
Negatives: The book uses far too much hyperbole in an attempt to grab the reader’s attention, and in my opinion is far too pessimistic. The scenario given for a war with China while initially backed with realistic reasoning, is overcome with pessimistic and downright unrealistic expectations of the Chinese and US (and allies) military capabilities. These namely being, the massive over-expectation of the Chinese military to perform better than any military seen throughout history. And the US to completely underperform given its track record, and to be completely abandoned by its allies, and for Australia to be left almost completely defenceless and without any options except to accept CCP dominance.
Jim uses far too much space in his book to make a plug for the coalition. And while stating to not be war mongering throughout, by the end it is difficult to see the book as anything but warmongering.
I would not recommend this book unless you have a background in this field and are able to read Jim’s book and it’s hyperbole with a sceptical mind.
December 30, 2022
Jim Molan's book is provocative but also sets out some possibilities that are certainly not far-fetched. While I felt the future scenario description was not quite in the same vein as Nevil Shute's On the Beach, it was certainly disturbing. Molan also mentions James Curran (p. 176), so I intend to read Curran's Australia's China Odyssey: From Euphoria to Fear. I was fortunate enough to attend Curran's book launch and I have a signed copy.
One of Molan's statements that struck me relates to the potential impact of AUKUS (p. 171):
Ironically, AUKUS increases both the likelihood that China can be deterred from taking military action, and the likelihood that a war will occur sooner.Like many others, I had long hoped that Australia could manage our strategic relationships with the Untied States and China simultaneously, but China's "wolf warrior" diplomacy and its willingness to use trade as a "weapon" changed my tune pretty quickly. I was also concerned by the Morrison government calling out China on the origins of COVID-19 among other issues. But at the same time, teaching political leadership and considering the likes of Neville Chamberlain and his firm belief that appeasement was working only makes me glad that Morrison had the fortitude to call China out on its shenanigans.
On a more mundane level, the term "Contested Logistics" (p. 222) was new to me. One of the United States' major strengths has been its logistics capabilities. But Australia is not so well-regarded. For example, following the shortages of toilet paper and food in Australia on a whim during the pandemic, it is clear that Australia's capacity for basic logistics is lacking, which makes me wonder about our capacity for contested logistics. Molan discusses "national capacity" as the population's willingness to fight and win a war, and this is an area that bothers me the most.
In my most recent article in The Spectator Australia, I argued that universities following woke trends from the US are making us "harmless". Molan (p. 258) argues that universities (along with other institutions) have a key role to address "deficiencies in skills enhancement". But I think universities are not even close to having a meaningful impact on skills enhancement and we are encouraging neither "self-reliance" nor "resilience" (p. 268) in our students. In fact, I believe we are encouraging a fragmented society that neither could nor would be willing to win a war, even in self-defence. While I do hope I am wrong, and that the current woke trend will pass, Molan paints a picture that we should not ignore if we are to continue to live our rather blessed lives as we have done since the end of World War II.
This is an important book in that it raises a number of issues and scenarios that policymakers need to heed. But I do believe that policymakers in the national security sector are so institutionalised as to reinforce these very institutions through returns that reward sticking with the norm. Molan does suggest that Australia needs a national security strategy that is not just run by Defence.
But with interest groups in the Defence Industry sector so tightly entwined, I suspect we will have to suffer the initial losses that democracies tend to suffer at the beginning of wars as we have done in previous wars. Molan provides ample warning for this, but I really do worry that contemporary Australians would rather we became a "tributary state" than stand our ground or present a hard target.
Molan writes that when people ask him what we need to do, they immediately rattle off (p. 252):
B-21 bombers, F-22 fighters, conscription, reform of the Federation, nuclear weapons, a nuclear power industry...I, too, have been guilty of looking to technologies rather than strategies. But at the same time, we do not have real policy debates where we focus on obtaining rigorous answers to difficult strategic questions. If we leave it up to the existing institutions, we get the same result. If we open it up to free and open debate, we are telegraphing our intentions.
Neither solution is adequate, and while Molan provides some of the important questions, he does not provide the solutions (nor could one person). Nevertheless, this is quite a thought-provoking work and it is well worth a read as it provides an important starting point for an Australian national security strategy.
April 20, 2025
Richard Molan’s Danger on Our Doorstep is a sobering and unflinching analysis of the shifting geopolitical realities facing Australia in the 21st century. With a clear, authoritative voice and an unambiguous sense of urgency, Molan makes the case that the country can no longer afford to take its relative peace and security for granted. The title is no hyperbole—this is a book designed to provoke, to challenge assumptions, and to rouse its readers from complacency.
Molan, a retired major general and seasoned military strategist, brings both credibility and clarity to his argument. He draws on history, military doctrine, and current geopolitical trends to paint a picture of an increasingly unstable Indo-Pacific region, in which the strategic ambitions of China, the changing posture of the United States, and Australia’s own defence vulnerabilities intersect in uncomfortable ways. His tone is firm but not alarmist—measured in its analysis, even as it underscores the high stakes of inaction.
What makes Danger on Our Doorstep especially compelling is its accessibility. While grounded in complex military and diplomatic considerations, Molan writes with a sense of purpose and directness that makes the book approachable to a wide readership. It is less a technical white paper than a call to civic awareness—an appeal to both policymakers and the public to reckon with hard truths.
At its core, the book is a wake-up call. It critiques the strategic drift and political indecision that has too often characterized Australian defence policy, and it argues—convincingly—that time is no longer a luxury the nation can rely on. Molan does not offer easy answers, but he makes one thing clear: complacency is no longer an option.
In a climate saturated with noise and distraction, Danger on Our Doorstep cuts through with rare clarity. It is not only a timely read, but an important one—an invitation to think seriously about the future, and the uncomfortable questions that come with it.
Molan, a retired major general and seasoned military strategist, brings both credibility and clarity to his argument. He draws on history, military doctrine, and current geopolitical trends to paint a picture of an increasingly unstable Indo-Pacific region, in which the strategic ambitions of China, the changing posture of the United States, and Australia’s own defence vulnerabilities intersect in uncomfortable ways. His tone is firm but not alarmist—measured in its analysis, even as it underscores the high stakes of inaction.
What makes Danger on Our Doorstep especially compelling is its accessibility. While grounded in complex military and diplomatic considerations, Molan writes with a sense of purpose and directness that makes the book approachable to a wide readership. It is less a technical white paper than a call to civic awareness—an appeal to both policymakers and the public to reckon with hard truths.
At its core, the book is a wake-up call. It critiques the strategic drift and political indecision that has too often characterized Australian defence policy, and it argues—convincingly—that time is no longer a luxury the nation can rely on. Molan does not offer easy answers, but he makes one thing clear: complacency is no longer an option.
In a climate saturated with noise and distraction, Danger on Our Doorstep cuts through with rare clarity. It is not only a timely read, but an important one—an invitation to think seriously about the future, and the uncomfortable questions that come with it.
October 29, 2022
Although I don’t agree with everything in this book, I commend Jim for expressing his opinion on this situation. If you want to read a different take on this topic, I recommend you check out Sleepwalk to War: Australia’s Unthinking Alliance with America
3/5
3/5
March 15, 2023
Very good book with plenty of information, however the author did include a significant number of his subjective views.
Regardless the most dangerous course of action by china is credible and realistic though the book may want to explore wider political and economic considerations too.
Regardless the most dangerous course of action by china is credible and realistic though the book may want to explore wider political and economic considerations too.
August 7, 2025
Frightening. Any good project manager lives by the saying “Hope is not a strategy”, hopefully the people accountable for defence do as well.
December 30, 2022
A fantastic book that comprehensively outlines the current volatile geopolitical landscape of the South China Sea, and the preparedness of Australia and our allies.
Overall, great read and definitely recommend it if you want to know Australia and our allies' current stance in this volatile world with China.
Overall, great read and definitely recommend it if you want to know Australia and our allies' current stance in this volatile world with China.
July 18, 2025
Step 1 - state obvious fact (china is geopolitical rival)
Step 2 - create insane hypothetical (china will plunge us into a dark age with cyber hacking and the arcane)
Step 3 - reveal the ceiling of your research by offering an incorrect explanation of modern naval strategy
Step 4 - ???
Step 5 - die
Step 2 - create insane hypothetical (china will plunge us into a dark age with cyber hacking and the arcane)
Step 3 - reveal the ceiling of your research by offering an incorrect explanation of modern naval strategy
Step 4 - ???
Step 5 - die
August 11, 2022
Absolutely brilliant this man is outstanding the way he writes
August 24, 2022
Says that China may attack the U.S. Frightening.
November 6, 2022
A great book about the challenges Australia faces with China and it’s dominance in the world.
August 19, 2023
Just wish I had met Jim to Thank him for his service & ability to communicate clearly & concisely to civvies! Will be buying my own copy for sure!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews