utumn is my favorite time of the year. The crisp cool air, leaves changing color, Halloween, pumpkin spice lattes (yes, I am an aficionado of those wonderful drinks), and of course the new book releases of the autumn. This autumn and early winter is particularly important with the general election taking place in the United States. While every election is seen as important, this one is even more so with the contrasting visions for America in the world from Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.
Whoever inherits the office of the presidency will face a truly full agenda, an agenda that is reflected in my selections for autumn reads that would find a welcome home on your to-be-read pile. From AI to networks of wealth and information, from Russia to China and India, and grand strategy and more, these picks offer insights into the world today and tomorrow (but also with a spot of spy fiction fun and Formula One thrills, of course).
Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI
Yuval Noah Harari
Random House
10 September, 2024
Yuval Noah Harari is the quintessential public intellectual. The author of “Sapiens,” “Homo Deus,” and “21 Lessons for the 21st Century,” Harari seeks to contextualize the sweeping past and uncertain future of humanity. In “Nexus” he looks at the arch of human history to understand how the flow of information has and continues to shape our world. With autocrats seeking to control population access to information and algorithms increasingly dictating what we do and do not see, understanding what these flows mean is vital to understanding the turbulent decades ahead.
Supremacy: AI, ChatGPT, and the Race that Will Change the World
Parmy Olson
St. Martin's Press
10 September, 2024
Generative artificial intelligence is slowly changing the way we live and work and, according to acolytes, will usher in a fundamental revolution in every aspect of human existence. Two companies, OpenAI and DeepMind, are at the forefront of shaping the future of AI but have largely remained hidden from broader public awareness. Parmy Olson, a tech writer for Bloomberg, goes beyond the AI chatbots to understand the companies, and the rivalry between their CEOs—Sam Altman, of OpenAI, and Demis Hassabis, of DeepMind—in “Supremacy.”
Out
Tim Shipman
William Collins
12 September, 2024
The concluding volume to Tim Shipman’s Brexit series, “Out” sees Boris Johnson’s succession of Theresa May as prime minister and his Game of Thrones–esque administration of Downing Street, all while the United Kingdom raced to exit the European Union. As with his preceding three volumes, the Sunday Times chief political commentator will undoubtedly deliver searing analysis and second–to–none insider gossip and score–settling. It will, more importantly, serve as a journalistic record of what is the most significant event in modern British political history.
The Seventh Floor
David McCloskey
W.W. Norton & Company
1 October, 2024
Former CIA officer turned author David McCloskey follows up his most recent and excellent book “Moscow X” with “The Seventh Floor” a modern–day homage to John le Carré’s “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.” His fantastic character Artemis Procter returns as a series of botched operations suggests that there is a mole among the cadre of her former classmates at the “Farm,” all of whom now occupy senior positions at the Agency. McCloskey’s latest entry cements his position as one of the best spy writers of today.
The Hidden Globe: How Wealth Hacks the World
Atossa Araxia Abrahamian
Penguin Random House
8 October, 2024
There are the maps of the world that everyone knows. The images of the world with borders, oceans and seas, cities and towns. And then there are the maps of the world that few will ever see—the complex world of free trade zones and freeports, flags of convenience and extraterritoriality. Atossa Araxia Abrahamian explores this ‘counter–geography’ in her forthcoming book “The Hidden Globe,” which looks to expose the way in which wealth flows around the world outside of the public’s view.
On Xi Jinping: How Xi's Marxist Nationalism is Shaping China and the World
Amb. Kevin Rudd
Oxford University Press
15 October, 2024
Australia’s former prime minister and current ambassador to the United States, Kevin Rudd explores the political philosophy of Xi Jinping, the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party. Rudd’s previous book “Avoidable War” was strongest when it allowed Rudd to leverage his Mandarin language skills and insights into Xi’s worldview, but notably weaker on his framing of strategic competition. Fair warning, this is an interesting, but dense book that requires some commitment to read—Marxist–Leninist–Maoist political philosophy is not for the faint of heart.
Patriot
Alexei Navalny
Knopf
22 October, 2024
Anti–corruption campaigner, political activist, gadfly of the Russian state, Alexei Navalny was many things to many people, including Russia’s best hope (according to some in the West) for a democratic future. After his near–fatal poisoning in 2020 he began writing his memoir, “Patriot,” as an account of the totality of his life including his imprisonment after bravely returning to Russia, almost certainly knowing his fate. He died in prison in Russia in February 2024.
Her Secret Service: The Forgotten Women of British Intelligence
Claire Hubbard–Hall
W&N
24 October, 2024
Historian Claire Hubbard–Hall shines a light on the women officers of British intelligence in her new book “Her Secret Service.” Until recently, playing only minor roles in official accounts of the British intelligence services and relegated to conquests and supporting roles in popular spy fiction, Hubbard–Hall brings the true stories of these brave and impressive women vividly to light, such as MI5’s Jane Archer, who raised suspicions of the traitor Kim Philby well before he was unmasked.
No Better Friend? The United States and Germany Since 1945
Peter Sparding
Hurst
31 October, 2024
Relations between the United States and Germany have been pivotal for continental security. Through reconstruction in the wake of World War II, the Cold War bifurcation of East and West, to the collapse of the Soviet Union and now with a revanchist Russia and aggressive China, relations between the two countries have been and remain vital, though markedly less understood than other partnerships. Peter Sparding, a senior vice president at CSPC, explores this relationship’s past and its future in “No Better Friend?”
The Retreat from Strategy: Britain’s Dangerous Confusion of Interests with Values
Lord David Richard & Julian Lindley–French
Hurst
November 2024
The former chief of the Defence Staff of the United Kingdom, Lord David Richards, joins academic and author Julian Lindley–French in evaluating Great Britain’s grand strategy and finds it wanting. Advocating strategic realism in lieu of blind idealism, the authors offer a biting critique of the disconnect between London’s ambitions and its practical power on the global stage. With Sir Keir Starmer as the new prime minister, “The Retreat from Strategy” is a timely contribution particularly ahead of the government’s undertaking a new Strategic Defence Review.
Forged in War
Mark Galeotti
Osprey Publishing
5 November, 2024
Nearly every country has been shaped by war, but few perhaps as much as Russia. Its history is one of war and conquest, fear and insecurity—whether real or imagined. Noted expert and prolific author Mark Galeotti pens a new military history of Russia, “Forged in War.” Exploring how Russia’s national identity was built in the crucible of war, Galeotti takes readers from the earliest days of Russia before it was Russia through to the violent invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The New India: The Unmaking of the World’s Largest Democracy
Rahul Bhatia
PublicAffairs
12 November, 2024
Since the election of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, India—the world’s largest democracy—appears to have become more divided and dysfunctional at home, but more aggressive and assertive abroad. Central to the United States’ strategy in the Indo–Pacific as a counter to a rising China, India’s stability is critical for Washington’s calculus. Yet, what is happening on the ground is often overlooked and most certainly misunderstood. Journalist Rahul Bhatia recounts the sweeping societal and political changes that have taken place under Modi’s leadership, warning of an increasing tilt towards autocracy.
And one for fun…
Inside Mercedes F1: Life in the Fast Lane
Matt Whyman
Crown
12 November, 2024
For the 2023 and 2024 Formula One seasons, Matt Whyman embedded in the Mercedes F1 team, home to seven–time Drivers’ Champion Lewis Hamilton, his teammate George Russell, and team principal Toto Wolff. A behind–the–scenes look at the team as it struggled to recapture its multi–year dominance and as Hamilton announced his departure to rival Ferrari, “Inside Mercedes” is the latest entry into the growing library of books on modern F1 in the post Netflix “Drive to Survive” era and is sure to be a thrilling read.
a global affairs media network
13 books for your autumn reading
Photo by Chris Liu-Beers on Unsplash
August 31, 2024
Autumn is our book reviewer’s favorite time of year, not least because of the new book releases. Here are 13 books Joshua Huminski thinks will be worth your attention.
A
utumn is my favorite time of the year. The crisp cool air, leaves changing color, Halloween, pumpkin spice lattes (yes, I am an aficionado of those wonderful drinks), and of course the new book releases of the autumn. This autumn and early winter is particularly important with the general election taking place in the United States. While every election is seen as important, this one is even more so with the contrasting visions for America in the world from Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.
Whoever inherits the office of the presidency will face a truly full agenda, an agenda that is reflected in my selections for autumn reads that would find a welcome home on your to-be-read pile. From AI to networks of wealth and information, from Russia to China and India, and grand strategy and more, these picks offer insights into the world today and tomorrow (but also with a spot of spy fiction fun and Formula One thrills, of course).
Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI
Yuval Noah Harari
Random House
10 September, 2024
Yuval Noah Harari is the quintessential public intellectual. The author of “Sapiens,” “Homo Deus,” and “21 Lessons for the 21st Century,” Harari seeks to contextualize the sweeping past and uncertain future of humanity. In “Nexus” he looks at the arch of human history to understand how the flow of information has and continues to shape our world. With autocrats seeking to control population access to information and algorithms increasingly dictating what we do and do not see, understanding what these flows mean is vital to understanding the turbulent decades ahead.
Supremacy: AI, ChatGPT, and the Race that Will Change the World
Parmy Olson
St. Martin's Press
10 September, 2024
Generative artificial intelligence is slowly changing the way we live and work and, according to acolytes, will usher in a fundamental revolution in every aspect of human existence. Two companies, OpenAI and DeepMind, are at the forefront of shaping the future of AI but have largely remained hidden from broader public awareness. Parmy Olson, a tech writer for Bloomberg, goes beyond the AI chatbots to understand the companies, and the rivalry between their CEOs—Sam Altman, of OpenAI, and Demis Hassabis, of DeepMind—in “Supremacy.”
Out
Tim Shipman
William Collins
12 September, 2024
The concluding volume to Tim Shipman’s Brexit series, “Out” sees Boris Johnson’s succession of Theresa May as prime minister and his Game of Thrones–esque administration of Downing Street, all while the United Kingdom raced to exit the European Union. As with his preceding three volumes, the Sunday Times chief political commentator will undoubtedly deliver searing analysis and second–to–none insider gossip and score–settling. It will, more importantly, serve as a journalistic record of what is the most significant event in modern British political history.
The Seventh Floor
David McCloskey
W.W. Norton & Company
1 October, 2024
Former CIA officer turned author David McCloskey follows up his most recent and excellent book “Moscow X” with “The Seventh Floor” a modern–day homage to John le Carré’s “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.” His fantastic character Artemis Procter returns as a series of botched operations suggests that there is a mole among the cadre of her former classmates at the “Farm,” all of whom now occupy senior positions at the Agency. McCloskey’s latest entry cements his position as one of the best spy writers of today.
The Hidden Globe: How Wealth Hacks the World
Atossa Araxia Abrahamian
Penguin Random House
8 October, 2024
There are the maps of the world that everyone knows. The images of the world with borders, oceans and seas, cities and towns. And then there are the maps of the world that few will ever see—the complex world of free trade zones and freeports, flags of convenience and extraterritoriality. Atossa Araxia Abrahamian explores this ‘counter–geography’ in her forthcoming book “The Hidden Globe,” which looks to expose the way in which wealth flows around the world outside of the public’s view.
On Xi Jinping: How Xi's Marxist Nationalism is Shaping China and the World
Amb. Kevin Rudd
Oxford University Press
15 October, 2024
Australia’s former prime minister and current ambassador to the United States, Kevin Rudd explores the political philosophy of Xi Jinping, the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party. Rudd’s previous book “Avoidable War” was strongest when it allowed Rudd to leverage his Mandarin language skills and insights into Xi’s worldview, but notably weaker on his framing of strategic competition. Fair warning, this is an interesting, but dense book that requires some commitment to read—Marxist–Leninist–Maoist political philosophy is not for the faint of heart.
Patriot
Alexei Navalny
Knopf
22 October, 2024
Anti–corruption campaigner, political activist, gadfly of the Russian state, Alexei Navalny was many things to many people, including Russia’s best hope (according to some in the West) for a democratic future. After his near–fatal poisoning in 2020 he began writing his memoir, “Patriot,” as an account of the totality of his life including his imprisonment after bravely returning to Russia, almost certainly knowing his fate. He died in prison in Russia in February 2024.
Her Secret Service: The Forgotten Women of British Intelligence
Claire Hubbard–Hall
W&N
24 October, 2024
Historian Claire Hubbard–Hall shines a light on the women officers of British intelligence in her new book “Her Secret Service.” Until recently, playing only minor roles in official accounts of the British intelligence services and relegated to conquests and supporting roles in popular spy fiction, Hubbard–Hall brings the true stories of these brave and impressive women vividly to light, such as MI5’s Jane Archer, who raised suspicions of the traitor Kim Philby well before he was unmasked.
No Better Friend? The United States and Germany Since 1945
Peter Sparding
Hurst
31 October, 2024
Relations between the United States and Germany have been pivotal for continental security. Through reconstruction in the wake of World War II, the Cold War bifurcation of East and West, to the collapse of the Soviet Union and now with a revanchist Russia and aggressive China, relations between the two countries have been and remain vital, though markedly less understood than other partnerships. Peter Sparding, a senior vice president at CSPC, explores this relationship’s past and its future in “No Better Friend?”
The Retreat from Strategy: Britain’s Dangerous Confusion of Interests with Values
Lord David Richard & Julian Lindley–French
Hurst
November 2024
The former chief of the Defence Staff of the United Kingdom, Lord David Richards, joins academic and author Julian Lindley–French in evaluating Great Britain’s grand strategy and finds it wanting. Advocating strategic realism in lieu of blind idealism, the authors offer a biting critique of the disconnect between London’s ambitions and its practical power on the global stage. With Sir Keir Starmer as the new prime minister, “The Retreat from Strategy” is a timely contribution particularly ahead of the government’s undertaking a new Strategic Defence Review.
Forged in War
Mark Galeotti
Osprey Publishing
5 November, 2024
Nearly every country has been shaped by war, but few perhaps as much as Russia. Its history is one of war and conquest, fear and insecurity—whether real or imagined. Noted expert and prolific author Mark Galeotti pens a new military history of Russia, “Forged in War.” Exploring how Russia’s national identity was built in the crucible of war, Galeotti takes readers from the earliest days of Russia before it was Russia through to the violent invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The New India: The Unmaking of the World’s Largest Democracy
Rahul Bhatia
PublicAffairs
12 November, 2024
Since the election of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, India—the world’s largest democracy—appears to have become more divided and dysfunctional at home, but more aggressive and assertive abroad. Central to the United States’ strategy in the Indo–Pacific as a counter to a rising China, India’s stability is critical for Washington’s calculus. Yet, what is happening on the ground is often overlooked and most certainly misunderstood. Journalist Rahul Bhatia recounts the sweeping societal and political changes that have taken place under Modi’s leadership, warning of an increasing tilt towards autocracy.
And one for fun…
Inside Mercedes F1: Life in the Fast Lane
Matt Whyman
Crown
12 November, 2024
For the 2023 and 2024 Formula One seasons, Matt Whyman embedded in the Mercedes F1 team, home to seven–time Drivers’ Champion Lewis Hamilton, his teammate George Russell, and team principal Toto Wolff. A behind–the–scenes look at the team as it struggled to recapture its multi–year dominance and as Hamilton announced his departure to rival Ferrari, “Inside Mercedes” is the latest entry into the growing library of books on modern F1 in the post Netflix “Drive to Survive” era and is sure to be a thrilling read.
