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Cocktails from Hell: Five Complex Wars Shaping the 21st Century
If you want peace, prepare for war.—Roman adage
Even in the absence of a major war, the world remains a dangerous place. Fuses are lit in practically every region and on every continent, which could eventually ignite a global conflagration and draw the world’s superpowers into a deadly and catastrophic conflict. The U.S., Russia, and China all eye these regional conflicts with care—each hoping to use this turmoil to its advantage. Meanwhile, each of these countries attempts to avoid major direct intervention that would trigger their rivals into action.
We are, perhaps, at the most dangerous moment since 1914, when similar smoldering conflicts led to the senseless mass slaughter known as World War I.
In Cocktails from Hell , Col. Austin Bay provides a concise and indispensable guide to the most dangerous threats against peace facing the United States—and the world. An expert in military strategy, analysis, and planning, Bay uses his critical eye and sharp pen to bring each of these bubbling global situations into sharp focus, both in their local and global contexts. Civilian students of war and military experts alike will benefit from his knowledge and insights.
If you truly want to understand the state of today’s society—and the role that the U.S. must play in order to successfully avoid the next Great War—this book is a must-read.
Even in the absence of a major war, the world remains a dangerous place. Fuses are lit in practically every region and on every continent, which could eventually ignite a global conflagration and draw the world’s superpowers into a deadly and catastrophic conflict. The U.S., Russia, and China all eye these regional conflicts with care—each hoping to use this turmoil to its advantage. Meanwhile, each of these countries attempts to avoid major direct intervention that would trigger their rivals into action.
We are, perhaps, at the most dangerous moment since 1914, when similar smoldering conflicts led to the senseless mass slaughter known as World War I.
In Cocktails from Hell , Col. Austin Bay provides a concise and indispensable guide to the most dangerous threats against peace facing the United States—and the world. An expert in military strategy, analysis, and planning, Bay uses his critical eye and sharp pen to bring each of these bubbling global situations into sharp focus, both in their local and global contexts. Civilian students of war and military experts alike will benefit from his knowledge and insights.
If you truly want to understand the state of today’s society—and the role that the U.S. must play in order to successfully avoid the next Great War—this book is a must-read.
208 pages, Hardcover
Published December 18, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 5, 2022
A quick read that has been sitting on the shelf for too long. With the war in the Ukraine I was interested in getting more background information as to how the situation developed. Col. Bey uses a "just the facts ma'am" approach to discuss North Korea, China, Russia, Yemen, and the Congo as potential instigators of conflicts that could become global.
December 22, 2019
Poor start with a lot of references and quotes. It got better with facts from chapter 2. The Korean,Chinese and Russian so f2f auto poo n.a. were insightful and clear. The chapters on yemen and congo provided no view to the future. I would not read this as author again.
June 14, 2020
Decent overview of a few of the big current conflicts around the world. Chapters 2 to 6 were very informative. Don't know how to describe the Introduction and Chapter 1, they weren't needed. Hard to ignore the biases in parts - especially against Iran
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 14, 2022
A great, succinct primer on global trouble hotshots with geopolitical implications. It expands the idea of war from traditional physical force aggression to the multiple ways in which war is waged (cocktails) in the modern world, perpetuating uncertainty and power struggles.
August 7, 2025
He examines six regions that host intractable conflicts likely leading to war in the 21st century: Korea, China, Russia (got that one right), Yemen, and Congo. Curiously, he does not include Palestine. Since he just ticks off the complexities and possible conflicts, it's of limited use.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews