The Third World War

by Humphrey Hawksley

After Iraq there is a lull, and then the opening stages of the Third World War. Hundreds die in the Indian parliament in Delhi, the president of Pakistan is assassinated, and a U.S. military base is hit by a North Korean missile. America and Britain discover chilling links between the attacks, but U.S. President Jim West wants to avoid another war. No one is yet aware that the war is already unstoppable. Detail by authentic detail, Humphrey Hawksley chillingly captures the unthinkable—a world speeding towards its own destruction.

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Alternate History, War, Military Fiction, Politics

514 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2003

About the author

Humphrey is an award-winning author, podcaster and journalist whose assignments with the BBC have taken him to crises all over the world. The three books in his future history series -- Dragonstrike, Dragonfire and The Third World War -- have been praised as authentic, catastrophic scenarios which begin with a Chinese strike in the South China Sea. His Rake Ozenna espionage thriller series is set in the Arctic and High North, beginning with Man on Ice and a Russian invasion of the Alaskan island of Little Diomede. Rake is an island native and a special forces veteran with the Alaska National Guard. The late, great Nelson de Mille applauded Rake as being smart and tough, 'and we’re glad to have him on our side.' Humphrey's non-fiction work includes Democracy Kills: What’s So Good About Having The Vote, published during the Iraq civil war and Asian Waters: The Struggle over the Indo-Pacific and the Challenge to American Power which examines the impact of Chinese expansion in Asia. Humphrey hosts the bi-monthly Democracy Forum Debates. His work has appeared in most mainstream media outlets and he has been guest lecturer at universities and think tanks such as the RAND Corporation, The Center for Strategic and International Studies and MENSA Cambridge. He moderates the Democracy Forum Debates on international issues and is a host of the Goldster Magazine Show and podcast.

Reviews

[Danny McSpadden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riveting

Almost dropped a star for the vulgarity, but this was just so gripping, and terrifying, I couldn't. I so hope he writes more along this genre.

[Ian]

DNF

You'd think the end of the world would be more interesting.

[martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the kind of book I would normally buy - war stories and especially fictional wars are not my cuppa. However a friend left it with me and I read it. The fact that it was written by Hawksley, a respected and intelligent BBC correspondent, caught my eye as he knows a fair bit of the reality behind the diplomatic and political posturing.

It's a fascinating story - and very believable. The world slips effortlessly and unavoidably into a war hardly anyone (except a few rogue Pakistanis and the North Korean dictator) seems to want. All the characters are credible and none of them seems truly "evil", which makes this war scenario very unsettling - aren't wars supposed to be between us the good guys and them, the bad guys who caused it all?

Well worth a read.

[Nigel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book for about two thirds of the way, but then - for me - it kind of ran out of steam.

All sorts of plausibility gives the premise an almost documentary like credibility, but having started his global conflict I felt the author had no clue how to get to the end of it and I particularly found the final chapter - of Epilogue, if you must - all a bit unsatisfactory.

[Abhishek · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book actually details the events leading to the Third World War, and not the war itself. This book can easily be the first of a series of books on the War.
This book also shows how difficult it is to explain the entire world politics in a single book. There is no mention of Middle East and OPEC countries in this book, although this region too could have also acted as a powder keg like the region of South East Asia.
But whatever situations are described, are told realistically, whether they be the situations in North Korea, Pakistan or China.
There are some over the top incidents like the Indian PM being too friendly with the US President, the PM explaining his war plans to the US President and the President keeping his phone line to the PM open even when discussing important US national security matters.
But these are minor nitpicks and can be ignored as author's imaginations. These things don't really come in the way of enjoying this book.

[Sudhansu Nayak · Rating 1 out of 5]

1. More than 40 characters ! Lost track of them and just kept skimming through
2. Too many protagonists and too many antagonists
3. Linear narrative is tiring and monotonous
4. Few hooks were well- placed but majority of them were predictable and repetitive
5. Choice of colour for cover could have been better.
6. All characters seem to be knowing each other personally and the tension build-up between them looks forced just to prove the point of the context and scene
7. Technical terms and history well-researched but stuffed more than adequately.

Read like a military reference book with dummy characters

[Tushar · Rating 1 out of 5]

Too unreal. One needs much larger scenario for a third world war. Was never sure of it when picked it up randomly. India threatening USA, weird secret operations. No mention of middle east, economic impacts, just a vivid description. It seems as if its a theatre play with presidents and prime ministers playing. Weird stuff. Ya can translate into a $100mn dollar hollywood action movie.
Leaving it midway.

[Bec Pearce · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was recommended to me by someone at work. I thought he was crazy as it sounded exactly the opposite of my cup of tea, but I gave it a go.

My good and shiny lord this book is terrifying. Based in a near future, the speed with which events escalate horrifies, and can't be looked away from. All the way through you have hope that things will change... That they can change...

A definite read for those who love political/global thrillers.

[Matthew Wyskiel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. For a journalist, Hawksley is superb at character interaction and emotionally-tinged descriptions. There were thankfully not many instances of outdated historical context, since this was written in the early 2000's but after the War on Terror had started. Very plausible, which made the book much more enjoyable to read.

[Bernadette Wade · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding

This is probably one of the best books I have read in the last few months since I started reading future histories. Many of these books are the same and are not easy to follow. This one is complicated but still easy to read. I am going to read Hawksleys other two books and I really hope I enjoy them as much. Well worth a read.

[Arka · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must-read. Packs international relations, foreign affairs, massive action and the winning human spirit in a mind-boggling picture of an alternate future. Or is it an imminent one?

[Donald Pryde · Rating 5 out of 5]

A superb read.

Humphrey Hawksley finished off the third book in style with all the big countries firing nuclear missiles at each other.

[John Sindzinski Jr · Rating 2 out of 5]

Confusing

Too tiresome a story for me The plot is so convoluted that I couldn’t follow the books themes I gave up

[Mohammed P Aslam · Rating 1 out of 5]

Cheap and not cheerful. It all started well, it caught my imagination and even thrilled me to read how another world war may begin but very quickly the story spiralled down hill. A bit like Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi’s helicopter on a cold drizzly day in Iran. If you need a book to help you sleep then you don’t need to look any further, this is the book, otherwise it’s worth nothing more than a door stopper.

[Praveen Moon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A unputdownable book, if you like fast face thriller. Only irritation of too many characters.

[Kevin Perry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable Read

I liked the characters and the author’s take on how WWIII would kick-off...to leave this as the end, though, would be a tragedy. Bring on Part 4.

[Kashyap Gajjar]

a gripping, eerily plausible scenario

[Greg Hollingsworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent!

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an exciting thriller, though it shows its age owing to the current geo political situation, which is arguably more chaotic and frightening than the one Hawksley's characters inhabit. It contains very plausible events that could unleash a global conflict but the great power rivalry that is evident today only really comes to the fore as the books events spiral out of control and broadly well meaning leaders jockey for position to control and win the coming war. Well worth reading, but I hear the author may be working on a modern version. If so this book would surely be rendered obsolete.

[Kym Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is another fun Hawksley read. He has an easy to enjoy writing style and he manages to create characters that are often more interesting than the events developing around them.

It has its strengths and certainly its weaker points. If you enjoy alternative history-future military fiction then I do recommend this book and the others in the Hawksley universe of work.

70 %

[Praveen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fast paced, dramatic thriller sometimes bordering on being incredulous! But definitely entertaining..
And yeah, why do Humphrey Hawksley's books always seem to end up with a few indian cities being nuked?! huh! It happened in dragon fire as well, definitely not acceptable and i don't think the world leaders will ever stand by and look on if that happens :) But yeah, a must read!

[john B L McClain · Rating 2 out of 5]

At last

For those of you that are tired of psychopaths, twisted malice and impossible feats of insight and wound healing here is a story, well told, about a plausible war stumbled into by plausible people. The tale is so realistic and rich in detail it will not leave you even after you have finished reading. As fun as Clancy or Crichton.

[Mathan · Rating 2 out of 5]

An average book.Interesting as India figures in as a good guy

[Srujan Mora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terrifying, appears everything told in this can happen any day in this unstable world