The Return of Great Powers

Named a Most-Anticipated Title by Foreign Policy and Politico

“In The Return of Great Powers: Russia, China, and the Next World War, Mr. Sciutto depicts a world made more dangerous by Chinese and Russian expansionism. Drawing on his experience as CNN’s chief national-security correspondent, Mr. Sciutto has written an eye-witness account of history as it unfolds.” —Wall Street Journal

“Sciutto takes no pleasure in playing Cassandra, warning of a world that for all its 21st-century sophistication and irony is backsliding towards Greek tragedy.” —The Guardian

“A powerful and well-written warning to us all.” —The Cipher Brief

“A knowledgeable, sobering assessment of one of the most consequential geopolitical situations in the world.” —Kirkus

“The Return of Great Powers is a brilliant warning shot across the world’s bow. If we want to avoid a new world war, our leaders are going to have to pull the blinkers from their eyes — and this superb book can help shatter our complaisance. Jim Sciutto is saying, quite clearly, ‘Wake up, folks. A world war could easily happen.’ It is a warning worth heeding.” —Admiral James Stavridis, 16th Supreme Allied Commander of NATO and Vice Chairman for Global Affairs at The Carlyle Group. His latest book is 2054: A Novel, about AI, geopolitics, and civil conflict in America.

“Jim’s prior book, Shadow War, opened my eyes to the difficulty in addressing Russia and China in a ‘below the traditional threshold’ worldwide battle for the future. The Return of Great Powers is a sobering but necessary look at the future of warfare, influence, and competition. If the US wants to remain competitive, and do so in an environment of peace, leaders would do themselves a service to read this and understand the future challenges. They aren’t going away, and the US cannot pretend the future isn’t close. It comes before we know it, and we’ll either be prepared or we won’t. Jim clearly understand that preparedness and sober assessment is the best way to avoid conflict, and leave our children better off than we are.” —Adam Kinzinger, Former US Representative (Illinois)

“Provid[es] a sense of how influential people viewed key events as they unfolded.” —Foreign Affairs