What do you think?
Rate this book
Straits of Fire: A Novel of World War III
“Realistic and Frightening” • “A Must Read” • “Captivating”
Straits of Fire plunges readers into the tense opening act of a new world war. As the next installment in The Eagle & The Dragon Series, this military technothriller captures the razor’s edge of geopolitics where power, deception, and firepower collide.
For decades, Pax Americana’s Navy kept the sea lanes open and the global order intact. But Beijing’s ambitions have outgrown its patience. While the world watches Chinese carriers mass in the Taiwan Strait, the real trap is being laid thousands of miles away. In the Persian Gulf, American forces are lured into a spiraling confrontation with Iran—an orchestrated crisis meant to bleed U.S. attention and stretch its forces thin.
Inside the halls of power in Beijing, the People’s Liberation Army has spent years preparing for the a lightning strike to seize Taiwan before the West can react. Airborne divisions wait in shadowed hangars, missile brigades stand fueled and silent, and a covert network of intelligence operatives works to blind American satellites. Yet it’s the quiet deal with Tehran—an audacious geopolitical feint—that may tip the first domino of war.
From the windswept decks of a Philippine-flagged freighter bound for Bandar Abbas, to the claustrophobic war rooms of Washington and Beijing, Straits of Fire unspools a suspenseful, globe-spanning chess match. As U.S. carrier strike groups surge into the Gulf and the Chinese fleet maneuvers in the Pacific, one question will America recognize the real battlefield before it’s too late?
Rich with authentic military detail, political intrigue, and the ominous tempo of modern war, Straits of Fire will grip fans of Tom Clancy-style thrillers from the first page to the final shot fired across two oceans.
Straits of Fire plunges readers into the tense opening act of a new world war. As the next installment in The Eagle & The Dragon Series, this military technothriller captures the razor’s edge of geopolitics where power, deception, and firepower collide.
For decades, Pax Americana’s Navy kept the sea lanes open and the global order intact. But Beijing’s ambitions have outgrown its patience. While the world watches Chinese carriers mass in the Taiwan Strait, the real trap is being laid thousands of miles away. In the Persian Gulf, American forces are lured into a spiraling confrontation with Iran—an orchestrated crisis meant to bleed U.S. attention and stretch its forces thin.
Inside the halls of power in Beijing, the People’s Liberation Army has spent years preparing for the a lightning strike to seize Taiwan before the West can react. Airborne divisions wait in shadowed hangars, missile brigades stand fueled and silent, and a covert network of intelligence operatives works to blind American satellites. Yet it’s the quiet deal with Tehran—an audacious geopolitical feint—that may tip the first domino of war.
From the windswept decks of a Philippine-flagged freighter bound for Bandar Abbas, to the claustrophobic war rooms of Washington and Beijing, Straits of Fire unspools a suspenseful, globe-spanning chess match. As U.S. carrier strike groups surge into the Gulf and the Chinese fleet maneuvers in the Pacific, one question will America recognize the real battlefield before it’s too late?
Rich with authentic military detail, political intrigue, and the ominous tempo of modern war, Straits of Fire will grip fans of Tom Clancy-style thrillers from the first page to the final shot fired across two oceans.
478 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 5, 2025
129 people are currently reading
19 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
January 10, 2026
Looking for something to start the year with a bang and some political flavouring, I turned to this novel by John Webber. I enjoy finding authors who write political thrillers, as it usually gets my blood pumping and my mind racing with possibilities. This second novel in the series also tackles potential future political and economic changes as international leadership might be shifting. Chinese officials have already begun planning a significant shift in the geo-political order by orchestrating the demise of the Mexican Government. It has created a significant distraction and the Americans have their hands full. All the while, American forces are pushed to answer a disaster on the high seas in the Persian Gulf. Iran has taken possession of a Dutch ship and refuses to stand down. American naval vessels arrive to assist, only to find themselves targeted by significant aggression, all part of a Chinese plot as they sit in the shadows. With the Americans once more focused elsewhere, a strike on Taiwan is imminent and the Chinese leadership take their shot. Panic ensues and significant military might changes the map in a short period of time. Playing games of chess and political checkers, both sides stare one another down in what is sure to be the opening salvo of war, where no clear winner has yet to be determined. Webber keeps the reader hooked as they forge deeper into this great series.
John Webber delivers a strong political thriller in this piece as he seeks to explore the rise of a new superpower. The narrative builds on the coattails of the previous novel, providing tension from the opening pages. Webber seeks to create confusion and multiple storylines to offer up varied perspectives, while ensuring the underlying political themes are clear for the reader to enjoy. He does so brilliantly, building intrigue for the attentive reader, as China forces the American hand when it comes to world domination and protector. Chapters tell stories from many angles and advance the narrative with ease, as I sought to make sense of which way was up. John Webber kept me guessing and even tossed in a few cliffhangers in the final chapter or two.
Characters are plentiful once again and Webber uses them well. He illustrates both personalities and political mindsets, which are key to feeling a sense of political panic. Webber provides a vast array of people to fill the pages and storylines of his piece, commenting on political, social and economic aspects of the larger piece. While there are many characters, their backstories and development do not overtake the story, leaving the reader to focus on whomever they feel is more relatable. Enriching the reading experience allows Webber to weave his story through the eyes of many and keep things tense until the final pages.
Surprises promise to keep reader on their toes, which is essential in any well-established thriller. Webber plants aspects of suspense with his political twists and outright action that never wanes. I was impressed by the ongoing strategy that balances the chaos, all as the reader sits in the middle, I felt the political tension bubbling below the surface as the games increased. Webber comments on geo-political maneuvering effectively and keeps things poignant, as the 21st century sees much change in short order. I am eager to see what's next and how John Webber will juggle new ideas.
Kudos, Mr. Webber, for another strong piece I could not stop reading.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
John Webber delivers a strong political thriller in this piece as he seeks to explore the rise of a new superpower. The narrative builds on the coattails of the previous novel, providing tension from the opening pages. Webber seeks to create confusion and multiple storylines to offer up varied perspectives, while ensuring the underlying political themes are clear for the reader to enjoy. He does so brilliantly, building intrigue for the attentive reader, as China forces the American hand when it comes to world domination and protector. Chapters tell stories from many angles and advance the narrative with ease, as I sought to make sense of which way was up. John Webber kept me guessing and even tossed in a few cliffhangers in the final chapter or two.
Characters are plentiful once again and Webber uses them well. He illustrates both personalities and political mindsets, which are key to feeling a sense of political panic. Webber provides a vast array of people to fill the pages and storylines of his piece, commenting on political, social and economic aspects of the larger piece. While there are many characters, their backstories and development do not overtake the story, leaving the reader to focus on whomever they feel is more relatable. Enriching the reading experience allows Webber to weave his story through the eyes of many and keep things tense until the final pages.
Surprises promise to keep reader on their toes, which is essential in any well-established thriller. Webber plants aspects of suspense with his political twists and outright action that never wanes. I was impressed by the ongoing strategy that balances the chaos, all as the reader sits in the middle, I felt the political tension bubbling below the surface as the games increased. Webber comments on geo-political maneuvering effectively and keeps things poignant, as the 21st century sees much change in short order. I am eager to see what's next and how John Webber will juggle new ideas.
Kudos, Mr. Webber, for another strong piece I could not stop reading.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
October 28, 2025
Outstanding and exciting read. The story line was seamless with the continuation from the first book. Great characters, action and reading entertainment. Can 't wait for the next book. Thank You, John Webber. I'm now a fan and highly recommend this series to fellow military action readers.
November 18, 2025
Could it happen?
If you like fast moving war setting novels this one is a bit unnerving. You can sense the possibility with the past few years with the same countries
If you like fast moving war setting novels this one is a bit unnerving. You can sense the possibility with the past few years with the same countries
January 9, 2026
Just finished both of the Eagle & Dragon books. Really great and believably possible story. Looking forward to book 3.
December 13, 2025
Impressive
Excellent plot and character development
Enjoyed technical details that did not bog down
Would have expected more involvement of submarine forces from both sides. We are certain to see that soon.
I am curious to see how the arsenal of democracy ramps up production
A new Korean war at the start of winter....that is a terrifying prospect.
Will the Russians join in? NATO will be up against the wall.
Excellent plot and character development
Enjoyed technical details that did not bog down
Would have expected more involvement of submarine forces from both sides. We are certain to see that soon.
I am curious to see how the arsenal of democracy ramps up production
A new Korean war at the start of winter....that is a terrifying prospect.
Will the Russians join in? NATO will be up against the wall.
December 14, 2025
Book 2 even better than Book 1 ! The To Be Continued...always sucks! But looking forward to it
December 14, 2025
just confused is all
I liked this story however Why in these 2 series are the American navy reduced to one carrier group that is rushing from one side of the globe to the other in serious situations like the ones in the books? What happened to the other 6 fleets the US navy has or had? I was also puzzled how a Chinese national meeting a top Iranian official in a the spy capital of the world and not be observed by American or any other friendly intelligence agencies? Otherwise thank you. Anticipating the third installment.
I liked this story however Why in these 2 series are the American navy reduced to one carrier group that is rushing from one side of the globe to the other in serious situations like the ones in the books? What happened to the other 6 fleets the US navy has or had? I was also puzzled how a Chinese national meeting a top Iranian official in a the spy capital of the world and not be observed by American or any other friendly intelligence agencies? Otherwise thank you. Anticipating the third installment.
October 8, 2025
I read John Webbers first book - was very surprised at how good it was. Read the second one in 2 days it was so good.
This is an original take on a WW3 scenario and the geopolitical angle and the combat writing is absolutely immersive. I wonder if he was in the military or think tank.
Anyways keep going - this series is game changing already.
This is an original take on a WW3 scenario and the geopolitical angle and the combat writing is absolutely immersive. I wonder if he was in the military or think tank.
Anyways keep going - this series is game changing already.
November 6, 2025
you gotta work on advertising your releases
The story felt on tracked but the second the Chinese began for real target it felt like you lowered there IQ points for the rest of the book has instead of using there minds in complex war narrative they just toke the fastest way with transparent lies and overwhelming military might.
The story felt on tracked but the second the Chinese began for real target it felt like you lowered there IQ points for the rest of the book has instead of using there minds in complex war narrative they just toke the fastest way with transparent lies and overwhelming military might.
February 10, 2026
Yeah, so this one was way better than the first book. Tactical military action from the start, with much less character development and background descriptions that caused the first half of book 1 to be slow. But book 2 is the real deal. Fast paced and exciting. Lots of military tactics. Can’t wait for book 3.
October 24, 2025
Not unblemished, but entertaining enough...
Great series, fast-paced and plausible. My only gripe is the innumerable grammatical errors. Terribly annoying for me. If you can tolerate the substandard proof-reading, it's an enjoyable storyline!
Great series, fast-paced and plausible. My only gripe is the innumerable grammatical errors. Terribly annoying for me. If you can tolerate the substandard proof-reading, it's an enjoyable storyline!
January 6, 2026
assessment
I think this book was assisted greatly by AI or computer assistance. Lots of mis-wording, syntax errors, etc…….more than I have seen in any prior published book. Story is ‘OK’, but a lot of knock offs from prior Clancy stories or those of his ghost writers.
I think this book was assisted greatly by AI or computer assistance. Lots of mis-wording, syntax errors, etc…….more than I have seen in any prior published book. Story is ‘OK’, but a lot of knock offs from prior Clancy stories or those of his ghost writers.
January 11, 2026
Believable
High probability of something like this happening.
I enjoyed this read,but felt it needs a little more of a core of character's to follow. A little less armament description s and more dialogue
High probability of something like this happening.
I enjoyed this read,but felt it needs a little more of a core of character's to follow. A little less armament description s and more dialogue
January 13, 2026
Decent read but not as good as the first one
The author focuses on the assault on Taiwan rather than the larger interplay. He does cover the Mexican and Iranian deceptions just not the transition to the main event
The author focuses on the assault on Taiwan rather than the larger interplay. He does cover the Mexican and Iranian deceptions just not the transition to the main event
October 14, 2025
A great book.
January 31, 2026
Editor required
A nice enough novel that has unfortunately been let down by multiple factual, grammatical and spelling errors. The three star review is a generous one.
A nice enough novel that has unfortunately been let down by multiple factual, grammatical and spelling errors. The three star review is a generous one.
February 18, 2026
awesome book
This book will keep you guessing on how it will end. Several different axis that parallel each other. Well written
This book will keep you guessing on how it will end. Several different axis that parallel each other. Well written
October 23, 2025
Definitely a good idea, however for the next book I hope the editor is someone not in the 4th grade!
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews