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Statecraft

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Statecraft

By: Jack Watling
Narrated by: Matthew Spencer
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About this listen

‘Indispensable – brilliantly grounded in first-hand experience and telling detail. 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.

 Military Politics & Government United States World Thought-Provoking Middle East Russia

Critic reviews

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 Politics on the Edge)
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 Autocracy, Inc)

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)
All stars
Most relevant
If you want a better understanding how nations interact and how we could more effectively achieve our aims then this is a must read.

Fantastic, well informed and explained!

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