A review by duckoffimreading
New Cold Wars: China's Rise, Russia's Invasion, and America's Struggle to Defend the West by David E. Sanger

3.0

Lengthy look at America’s latest international political crossroads: the tug between superpowers China and Russia on the brink of teaming up. Sanger recounts the Ukraine invasion, Taiwanese/Chinese conflicts, the Israeli/Hamas conflict and America’s role. I learned a lot more about the intricate balance bw Xi, Putin and whichever sitting president (most recently Biden) and how we are interdependent but also not trusting of each other. China is focused on establishing itself as the world’s technology powerhouse, Russia wants to the gang back together (aka USSR). The New Cold Wars hinges on nuclear weapons/military might, economic strength and technological development particularly around AI. Parts of this I found interesting, a lot of it was a retelling of historical events I was already aware. Helps to articulate exactly why China is on the power rise (however they are hobbled by tech innovation and birth rates). Great read if you are a historian or naturally intrigued by current political events - and while political issues absolutely translate into everyday citizen issues - I found this a bit of a slog. Reco audiobooking this one.