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Future War and the Defence of Europe

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Future War and the Defence of Europe

By: John R. Allen, Frederick Ben Hodges, Julian Lindley-French
Narrated by: Liam Price
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Summary

Future War and the Defence of Europe offers a major new analysis of how peace and security can be maintained in Europe: a continent that has suffered two cataclysmic conflicts since 1914. Taking as its starting point the COVID-19 pandemic and way it will inevitably accelerate some key global dynamics already in play, the book goes on to weave history, strategy, policy, and technology into a compelling analytical narrative. It lays out in forensic detail the scale of the challenge Europeans and their allies face if Europe's peace is to be upheld in a transformative century. The book upends foundational assumptions about how Europe's defence is organised, the role of a fast-changing transatlantic relationship, NATO, the EU, and their constituent nation-states.

At the heart of the book is a radical vision of a technology-enabling future European defence, built around a new kind of Atlantic Alliance, an innovative strategic public-private partnership, and the future hyper-electronic European force, E-Force, it must spawn. Europeans should be under no illusion: unless they do far more for their own defence, and very differently, all that they now take for granted could be lost in the maze of hybrid war, cyber war, and hyper war they must face.

©2021 John R. Allen, F. Ben Hodges, Julian Lindley-French (P)2022 Tantor
Europe Politics & Government World War Technology
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All stars
Most relevant
The analysis in this book is excellent, and many of the scenarios the author predicted back in 2021 have proven to be surprisingly and impressively accurate in 2025. His insights into geopolitical trends are sharp, and the book remains highly relevant. That said, I’ve docked one star through no fault of the author. Despite being only four years old, some sections—particularly the first and second chapters—already feel somewhat outdated. The focus on COVID-19 and its immediate aftermath now feels less central given how quickly global priorities have shifted since then.

As for performance, while the author has a pleasant and engaging voice, the audiobook experience is occasionally marred by his insistence on doing exaggerated accents whenever quoting someone. These range from awkward American (akin to English schoolboys in the playground pretending to be a Yank), Russian, French, and Chinese accents to a jarring faux Etonian tone whenever quoting British sources. It’s off-putting and disrupts the flow, often ruining both the quote and the surrounding text. It’s unfortunate, because his natural voice is enjoyable—he simply doesn’t need to imitate anyone.

Excellent analysis ruined by comic-book reading

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