War with Russia: An urgent warning from senior military command

After 3 months of continuously gorging on news a twitter of Putin’s War on Ukraine, this was a natural book to choose to read. I liked the pace, style and character development, but above all the pace: I could put the book down!! If only the real war could end like this one! As if. I would recommend this book to anyone who is reading all they can about Putin’s War on Ukraine and who had enjoyed a Clancy novel or two and the like. Obviously I choose a 5 star rating because the app popped up and asked to do this review as soon as I finished the book and before the adrenaline had worn off. If I had waited I might have remarked on the frequent use of initialisms and acronyms being a little hard to keep up with. There was a glossary at the end, but fat lot of good that did me as I look down at the one I created as I read. Maybe the character development could have been better. But at this point, I don’t care. I enjoyed the book and recommend to anyone who as I said above fancies this genre and wants more on this subject than twitter can deliver.

Like all good examples of this genre, it moves with great speed keeping the reader’s interest to the end.The sad politics that underlie the deterioration of the West’s Defense Posture have no speedy resolution. The job of a democratic system is the permanent pursuit of internal and external order, but the continual defeat of those objectives is the relentless corruption of politicians seeking to preserve their permanence as elected officials. Such a system caters to those who love their political eminence and the privileges brought by political permanence, but it puts a liberal democratic society at a distinct disadvantage against totalitarian regimes dedicated to destroying democratic states.The long run answer is educating the voting public about the costs and needs of defense and bringing men and women into the Service on a permanent basis by rewarding them with the best equipment, dedicated leadership and the shared idealism of doing what few can do.Military capability and availability share an odious history in democratic states. They need always to be ready to defend their State but they are ruled by politicians who alway wish to recruit marginal voters seduced by the latest award of “ bread and circuses, by means of tax resources taken away from the goal ofconstant readiness, and military innovation.One would think that lesson is easily learned fromHistory… but sadly the temptation to pirate the State’s resources to further individual political careers is the constant of democratic electoral policies. That means we are never truly ready for the next attack on our liberties.This book will both entertain and sadden the thoughtful reader.

This book was OK. It was clear the author had a message he wanted to get out. But the message got so bogged down in military jargon & politician bashing over defence cuts that the point of the story was lost. I found myself skipping vast sections just to get to the end. And yes, the ending was satisfactory, however, for me this book was a bit of a miss. Had some of the monologues over defence cuts been removed and action demonstrating how woefully unprepared various nations were was put in its place, the message would have been so much more effective. Instead in a short amount of time(after pages and pages and pages) of various flunkies saying that there is no way they can be ready - no soldiers, no equipment etc etc, everything miraculously comes together and voila victory!

Excellent war gaming fiction book. Worth reading definitely. Author has great insights both in NATO and Russia’s decision making process. Russians started war-gaming in their futurology and science fiction books more than 15 years ago.The Kremlin’s approach might be called “non-linear war,” came from Russian science fiction and futurology. Russian think tanks have prepared justification for Russian expansion long before events in Ukraine. It is noteworthy that Russian science fiction, alternative history and futurology scenarios as well as Russian extremists concepts and vison of war strangely “migrated” from pure scenarios and concepts to official documents of Russian government and became a part of official Russian foreign policy.Russia has been preparing for a major war at least since 2003 and for a confrontation with Ukraine, including the capture of Crimea, since 2004, when the ‘Orange Revolution’ started in Kiev. Another contingency plan was drafted for 2010, in case Yulia Tymoshenko had won the presidential election instead of Moscow-backed Viktor Yanukovych. One more potential date for a war was chosen for 2015, when Ukraine would hold its next presidential election. However, Euromaidan happened sooner then expected.Russians were wrong only in one point in their scenarios. NATO and EU proved not to be as strong as Russians thought in 2006 – 2012. Unlike Russian scenarios US, NATO and EU avoided both direct military confrontation with Russia and refused to support Ukraine by providing lethal weapons and military equipment.More details in the article: Russia has been preparing global war which starts in Ukraine: science fiction, alternative history, futurology and reality: [...]

I thoroughly enjoyed this very knowledgable writing in fiction form on a Russian invasion of the Baltic states, told by a former deputy chief commander of NATO. Filled with technical and political insider knowledge, I learned a lot about how such an invasion could unfold and what are the options and chances to oppose it. Scary and revealing, I couldn't put it down until the end

Es bastante curioso, un poco pesado en ciertas partes. Te demuestra el politiqueo al que esta sometida, los intereses partidistas/nacionalistas que buscan "salir bien en la foto", sin importar el fin ultimo que es la defensa de la totalidad de nuestro entorno

I completed reading the book over a few days. A highly plausible scenario almost being mirrored in real life events now. The author brings home vital facts due his military experience. All I can say is that stripping the defence budgets of funding and personnel is fraught with danger. I loved the book and recommend it to readers of this genre.

Terrifying. Works quite well as a novel but the best part is the introduction in which Sir Richard sets out the reasons why nuclear war with Russia is virtually inevitable unless NATO countries get their act together.

Die Handlung des Buches basiert auf dem fiktiven Szenario der Besetzung der Baltischen Republiken durch Russland in nicht allzu ferner Zukunft. Das Szenario ist m.E. vor dem Hintergrund der aktuellen Lage in Europa, der wirtschaftlichen Situation in Russland, der Eroberung der Krim durch Russland und der Destabilisierung der Ukraine durch die Russland-gesteuerten Separatisten sowie des vermutlichen Charakters des Russischen Präsidenten recht glaubhaft.Die spannende Handlung selbst wechselt zwischen Action vor Ort und den Dingen, die bei den Beteiligten im Hintergrund ablaufen. Die handelnden Personen werden charakterlich gut ausgeformt und ihre jeweiligen Motive begründet. Es wirkt alles recht realistisch. So stelle ich mir z.B. die Situation am Russischen Kabinettstisch und innerhalb der NATO genauso vor, wie durch den Autor dargestellt. Was die Bürokratie der NATO und militärische Details betrifft, kann man dem Autor wohl auch glauben - er ist ehemaliger Stellvertretender NATO-Oberbefehlshaber für Europa.Anliegen des Autors ist es, das Verständnis dafür zu wecken, dass auch eine starke konventionelle Militärpräsenz der NATO in Europe dringend geboten ist. Vor der aktuellen Diskussion über die Beteiligung Deutschlands am Militärbudget der NATO sollte dieses Buch zum Nachdenken anregen.Ein gelungener Thriller mit aktuellen Bezügen, der mich stark an Tom Clancy erinnert. Man sollte sich von den zum Teil wohl politisch motivierten negativen Bewertungen nicht beirren lassen - klare Leseempfehlung!