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Three Dangerous Men: Russia, China, Iran and the Rise of Irregular Warfare
How three key figures in Moscow, Beijing, and Tehran built ruthless irregular warfare campaigns that are eroding American power. In Three Dangerous Men , defense expert Seth Jones argues that the US is woefully unprepared for the future of global competition. While America has focused on building fighter jets, missiles, and conventional warfighting capabilities, its three principal rivals―Russia, Iran, and China―have increasingly adopted irregular warfare: cyber attacks, the use of proxy forces, propaganda, espionage, and disinformation to undermine American power. Jones profiles three pioneers of irregular warfare in Moscow, Beijing, and Tehran who adapted American techniques and made huge gains without waging traditional warfare: Russian Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov; the deceased Iranian Major General Qassem Soleimani; and vice chairman of China’s Central Military Commission Zhang Youxia. Each has spent his career studying American power and devised techniques to avoid a conventional or nuclear war with the US. Gerasimov helped oversee a resurgence of Russian irregular warfare, which included attempts to undermine the 2016 and 2020 US presidential elections and the SolarWinds cyber attack. Soleimani was so effective in expanding Iranian power in the Middle East that Washington targeted him for assassination. Zhang Youxia presents the most alarming challenge because China has more power and potential at its disposal. Drawing on interviews with dozens of US military, diplomatic, and intelligence officials, as well as hundreds of documents translated from Russian, Farsi, and Mandarin, Jones shows how America’s rivals have bloodied its reputation and seized territory worldwide. Instead of standing up to autocratic regimes, Jones demonstrates that the United States has largely abandoned the kind of information, special operations, intelligence, and economic and diplomatic action that helped win the Cold War. In a powerful conclusion, Jones details the key steps the United States must take to alter how it thinks about―and engages in―competition before it is too late. 8 maps
288 pages, Hardcover
Published September 7, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
March 25, 2023
A centerpiece for understanding defense strategy today in gray zone competition. However, I would add that the competition is mainly with the governments of these countries, not with the people in each diaspora. I would recommend using verbiage such as “PRC” and “the Kremlin” to isolate their behavior instead of “China” and “Russia”. Such vernacular would assist in preventing racism.
July 2, 2022
Three Dangerous Men examines the mechanisms of irregular warfare three authoritarian regimes vying for global power with the U.S. It is well-balanced politically (slight right) in its analysis of national security related issues, examining episodes of non-conventional warfare and competition between America and three of its chief rivals.
What makes this book exceptional is that Jones took the deep dive into Russian, Persian and Chinese-language sources in order to understand the social dynamics within these societies. I lament with him the general lack of funding, resources (and interest) in foreign language learning and area specialists however the lack is also apparent in media.
Jones deftly incorporates a massive number of resources into a very readable book with a mere few bristly moments such as: General Tony Thomas, head of U.S. special operations command said, “I ran into the Chinese in Panama and other Latin American countries. They were in our backyard.” Panama is in America's backyard when one believes they own/rule the world?! And boasting of Reagan's black-n-white view of 'we're good, they're evil' foreign policy emanates a deep impediment to cooperation.
The book was heavily focused on cyber warfare but light on economic warfare including the deeper effects of sanctions and Trump's trade wars with China. Overall, it's a solid, well-rounded presentation of global affairs and competition from a highly knowledgeable expert in international security.
What makes this book exceptional is that Jones took the deep dive into Russian, Persian and Chinese-language sources in order to understand the social dynamics within these societies. I lament with him the general lack of funding, resources (and interest) in foreign language learning and area specialists however the lack is also apparent in media.
Jones deftly incorporates a massive number of resources into a very readable book with a mere few bristly moments such as: General Tony Thomas, head of U.S. special operations command said, “I ran into the Chinese in Panama and other Latin American countries. They were in our backyard.” Panama is in America's backyard when one believes they own/rule the world?! And boasting of Reagan's black-n-white view of 'we're good, they're evil' foreign policy emanates a deep impediment to cooperation.
The book was heavily focused on cyber warfare but light on economic warfare including the deeper effects of sanctions and Trump's trade wars with China. Overall, it's a solid, well-rounded presentation of global affairs and competition from a highly knowledgeable expert in international security.
November 11, 2021
Meh. Very descriptive. The China section felt particularly weak and unfocused. Some decent, if not very original, food for thought in the recommendations at the end.
October 4, 2021
⁹ The title of this book refers to these three dangerous men : Gen. Zhang Youxia, vice chairman of China’s Central Military Commission, Russian military chief Valery Gerasimov, and Iranian general Qassem Soleimani. As noted elsewhere, the extended profiles of these 3 dangerous men come at the expense of a more complete assessment of the damage they are responsible for. The author cites many former CIA and Defense Department officials, but doesn’t fully reckon with the ethical and legal implications of the author"s call for America to ramp up its irregular warfare capabilities. Some effort is made to discuss the concept of irregular warfare, its origin, how it is applied along with the concept of active measures.
This one-sided account feels more alarmist than essential. In many ways, this book reminds me of a similar biased and myopic book which I recently read and left a short review; "Losing Military Supremacy: The Myopia of American Strategic Planning", by Andrei Martyanov.
This one-sided account feels more alarmist than essential. In many ways, this book reminds me of a similar biased and myopic book which I recently read and left a short review; "Losing Military Supremacy: The Myopia of American Strategic Planning", by Andrei Martyanov.
February 24, 2022
Fantastic look at the leaders of the Russian, Iranian and Chinese militaries. Both simple to follow but deeply researched. One of the better books on these three rivals including Russia’s non kinetic playbook of 1) sanctions, 2) disruption of diplomatic ties, 3) diplomatic pressure, and 4) political pressure.
November 14, 2021
Seth Jones knows how to write about rising security issues couched in sound research and historical perspectives. I always enjoy his books and this one is no exception. Well researched and an easy read that flows I recommend this for my planner friends as well as anyone interested in understanding the underlying security concerns as it pertains to the destabilizing techniques of Russia, Iran, and China.
April 1, 2025
I thought this was a new book but it was released in September 2021. I was particularly interested in who exactly the three men were from Russia, Iran, and China. They are all soldier's soldiers except we killed one of them. It's what I expected. A rehash of America's complete lack of planning and preparation for irregular warfare conducted by our adversaries who are basically at war with us now. Not once was the word liminal mentioned which surprised me.
All the recommendations in the last chapter are worthless now that Trump has destroyed USAID and our allies. Ironically all three of the adversarial architects studied American irregular warfare capabilities from the Cold War to OIF and concluded that only by employing the same tactics could they beat us. And of course there's Sun Tzu's maxim about beating an enemy without fighting.
All the recommendations in the last chapter are worthless now that Trump has destroyed USAID and our allies. Ironically all three of the adversarial architects studied American irregular warfare capabilities from the Cold War to OIF and concluded that only by employing the same tactics could they beat us. And of course there's Sun Tzu's maxim about beating an enemy without fighting.
November 28, 2022
Terrifying, especially the China chapter.
November 29, 2022
This was a good read, although I am not sure I would consider it a book. This was written more like an academic article the author was not willing to go through the peer review process in order to have it published in an Academic Journal. While the assessments of Putin, Solameni, and Jiang seem to be appropriate for the zeitgeist of today, I have to wonder if the analysis and the literary resources the author cited are accurate enough for the assessments. The methodology section was missing from the book, ergo the reader is not sure how the author determined the accuracy or integrity of the resources cited. This is in spite of the acknowledgment that each of the men assessed in the pages is individually known as a master of their respective propaganda machines. The personnel who know what occurs behind closed doors are not likely talking about reality but instead are pushing the party line. As with any defector, their stories have to be sanitized to help protect their new identities. So how does the reader know the validity of the analysis and would this be an appropriate work to cite when starting a research project which might leverage one or all three of the personalities captured within the pages?
February 1, 2022
4/10
Irregular warfare has become the new norm, as we fight with ideology more often than conventional weapons. This much is obvious, and has been the case since the 90's, so I'm not sure why Jones seems to think it's newsworthy. China, Iran, and Russia are more vulnerable to irregular warfare than America. This is not the authors' conclusion, but I still think it's correct. China and Russia have already proven susceptible to societal level change in values, and when that happens it can catch the government flat-footed. It seems clear that America should worry less about the potential of itself being harmed by outdated political philosophies, and instead seek to influence its opponents. I can't say whether or not that's the "right thing" to do, only that it would be politically expedient.
Not a lot here that isn't relatively common knowledge. I had hoped for some higher level insights instead of rote descriptions of what had recently happened. Still, It's still interesting for me to as a subject, even if it's not helped much by the author.
Irregular warfare has become the new norm, as we fight with ideology more often than conventional weapons. This much is obvious, and has been the case since the 90's, so I'm not sure why Jones seems to think it's newsworthy. China, Iran, and Russia are more vulnerable to irregular warfare than America. This is not the authors' conclusion, but I still think it's correct. China and Russia have already proven susceptible to societal level change in values, and when that happens it can catch the government flat-footed. It seems clear that America should worry less about the potential of itself being harmed by outdated political philosophies, and instead seek to influence its opponents. I can't say whether or not that's the "right thing" to do, only that it would be politically expedient.
Not a lot here that isn't relatively common knowledge. I had hoped for some higher level insights instead of rote descriptions of what had recently happened. Still, It's still interesting for me to as a subject, even if it's not helped much by the author.
August 4, 2025
a must read for those interested in global, political, diplomatic or worldwide affairs.
I reread again and I have to saw, you can tell there's more opinion on the second go around
I reread again and I have to saw, you can tell there's more opinion on the second go around
February 25, 2025
Excellent book! This is a study of the rise of irregular warfare among 3 key US adversaries: Iran, China, and Russia. It is told through the biographies of 3 key figures from these states: Qassem Soleimani, Valery Gerasimov, and Zhang Youxia. This makes the book more human and less abstract. Each of these guys became critical, high-ranking figures in their respective governments. They were all responding to the rise of US military hegemony, as exemplified in the Persian Gulf War, and to the larger US dominance of the international system. They all sought to offset US strategic advantages by developing irregular warfare capabilities.
For Iran, this meant the use of proxy forces and alliances with Russia, Syria, and other states that could offset US power. For China, this has meant a lot of cyber activities, intellectual property theft, and other intimidation and gray zone activities in the South China sea. To me, the most interesting set of strategic adaptations came from Russia. After spending the entire Cold War trying to match the US on a symmetrical basis, Russia developed a host of asymmetrical tools to threaten NATO and expand their power. These included mass efforts at spreading disinformation, hacking/leaking operations, killing/intimidation of dissidents, funding extremist parties, using private military contractors like the Wagner group, and deploying irregular forces like the little Green men into Ukraine. These tools enable Russia to reassert its power over its former sphere of influence, manipulate and weaken the US and its adversaries, and keep the regime in power.
The experiences of Gerasimov were particularly illuminating for thinking about why Russia has come to oppose US power so vehemently, and how it has used irregular warfare to do so. Gerasimov, like Putin, was shocked by the USSR's collapse. He believed that the United States was using irregular warfare/influence methods to spark revolts against the Soviets in places like Poland during the Cold War. He and many other Russian elites then viewed the US after the Cold War as a kind of rogue giant, knocking off regimes and undermining others from Serbia, Iraq, Libya, Ukraine under Yanukovych. In some cases, they had a point; in others, they dramatically overstated US activities and understated the agency of local actors and peoples. Russia, like Iran, found itself feeling surrounded by the US and looking for ways to hit back against the US without sparking direct conflict. Hence the rise of irregular warfare as a key tool of states seeking to challenge US power.
This book has some nice overlap with David Kilcullen's Dragons and the Snakes book, which argues that the strategies of non-state actors and states are converging, largely as a way to counterbalance US dominance. Jones also makes a good case that the US should spend more time learning how to counter this kind of warfare rather than obsessing over conventional dominance. Our foes will continue to use irregular tools as long as they work, and eventually we will have to meet them on this territory. Anyways, this is a concise, effective, and interesting book that people interested in contemporary military strategy should check out.
For Iran, this meant the use of proxy forces and alliances with Russia, Syria, and other states that could offset US power. For China, this has meant a lot of cyber activities, intellectual property theft, and other intimidation and gray zone activities in the South China sea. To me, the most interesting set of strategic adaptations came from Russia. After spending the entire Cold War trying to match the US on a symmetrical basis, Russia developed a host of asymmetrical tools to threaten NATO and expand their power. These included mass efforts at spreading disinformation, hacking/leaking operations, killing/intimidation of dissidents, funding extremist parties, using private military contractors like the Wagner group, and deploying irregular forces like the little Green men into Ukraine. These tools enable Russia to reassert its power over its former sphere of influence, manipulate and weaken the US and its adversaries, and keep the regime in power.
The experiences of Gerasimov were particularly illuminating for thinking about why Russia has come to oppose US power so vehemently, and how it has used irregular warfare to do so. Gerasimov, like Putin, was shocked by the USSR's collapse. He believed that the United States was using irregular warfare/influence methods to spark revolts against the Soviets in places like Poland during the Cold War. He and many other Russian elites then viewed the US after the Cold War as a kind of rogue giant, knocking off regimes and undermining others from Serbia, Iraq, Libya, Ukraine under Yanukovych. In some cases, they had a point; in others, they dramatically overstated US activities and understated the agency of local actors and peoples. Russia, like Iran, found itself feeling surrounded by the US and looking for ways to hit back against the US without sparking direct conflict. Hence the rise of irregular warfare as a key tool of states seeking to challenge US power.
This book has some nice overlap with David Kilcullen's Dragons and the Snakes book, which argues that the strategies of non-state actors and states are converging, largely as a way to counterbalance US dominance. Jones also makes a good case that the US should spend more time learning how to counter this kind of warfare rather than obsessing over conventional dominance. Our foes will continue to use irregular tools as long as they work, and eventually we will have to meet them on this territory. Anyways, this is a concise, effective, and interesting book that people interested in contemporary military strategy should check out.
September 15, 2024
Not as deep as one might like
.......
Seth Jones is one of the world’s sharpest defense theorists. This is an invaluable guide to the coming era of geopolitical competition, which will largely take place off the traditional battlefield, and a timely warning that the United States is not doing enough to prevail against determined rivals.
Hal Brands, Johns Hopkins University and American Enterprise Institute
Three Dangerous Men provides an unparalleled look at how Beijing, Moscow, and Tehran are competing with the United States—through their eyes. It is a cogently argued, well-researched, and elegantly written book on one of the US’s most important challenges ahead.
General Michael Hayden, US Air Force, Central Intelligence Agency
Seth Jones makes a compelling, riveting argument in Three Dangerous Men that the United States needs to reconsider significant aspects of the very concept of contemporary warfare…This is a must read for anyone seeking to understand the present-day challenges facing the US and our allies and partners around the world.
General David Petraeus, US Army, Central Intelligence Agency
Three Dangerous Men is a brilliantly conceived exposé of modern conflict through the lives of three warrior-innovators. Seth Jones dug deep into Russian, Iranian, and Chinese sources, and breaks new ground by portraying the evolution of irregular warfare, finally, in its proper cultural and historical context. An invaluable book.
Thomas Rid, Johns Hopkins University, author of Active Measures
An astute analyst of complex global affairs.
Kirkus Reviews
February 20, 2025
The name of the game is Irregular Warfare.
Seth G. Jones’ Three Dangerous Men is a must-read for Americans, especially those in the military and national security fields. It delivers a thought-provoking analysis of how China, Russia, and Iran have mastered irregular warfare—using cyber attacks, influence operations, and proxy conflicts to undermine the U.S. without direct military confrontation.
Jones highlights key figures behind these strategies, revealing how these nations exploit America’s focus on conventional warfare. He argues that while the U.S. remains fixated on traditional military power, its adversaries are winning through asymmetric means. Most Americans, even in uniform, fail to grasp the full scope of irregular warfare and its impact on national security.
The book’s urgent message is clear: Chinese, Russian, and Iranian influence is not going anywhere. These nations are playing a long game, leveraging deception, economic coercion, and covert operations to erode U.S. dominance. Jones calls for a strategic shift, emphasizing the need to counter these threats beyond just military responses.
Three Dangerous Men is more than an academic study—it’s a wake-up call. If the U.S. fails to adapt, it risks falling further behind in an evolving global power struggle. This book is essential reading for those who care about America’s future.
Seth G. Jones’ Three Dangerous Men is a must-read for Americans, especially those in the military and national security fields. It delivers a thought-provoking analysis of how China, Russia, and Iran have mastered irregular warfare—using cyber attacks, influence operations, and proxy conflicts to undermine the U.S. without direct military confrontation.
Jones highlights key figures behind these strategies, revealing how these nations exploit America’s focus on conventional warfare. He argues that while the U.S. remains fixated on traditional military power, its adversaries are winning through asymmetric means. Most Americans, even in uniform, fail to grasp the full scope of irregular warfare and its impact on national security.
The book’s urgent message is clear: Chinese, Russian, and Iranian influence is not going anywhere. These nations are playing a long game, leveraging deception, economic coercion, and covert operations to erode U.S. dominance. Jones calls for a strategic shift, emphasizing the need to counter these threats beyond just military responses.
Three Dangerous Men is more than an academic study—it’s a wake-up call. If the U.S. fails to adapt, it risks falling further behind in an evolving global power struggle. This book is essential reading for those who care about America’s future.
December 30, 2024
MUST READ! A wake up call for Americans. Very nicely summarizes Iranian, Chinese, and Russian irregular warfare efforts. Incredibly topical, and the policy recommendations at the end are definitely something to think about. I really enjoyed this book and will most likely read it again in the future.
If I had to be picky, the part on China felt rushed, and I wish he would have focused more on China, UNCLOS EEZs, and the nine dash line… maybe even touch up on Taiwan and TSMC. Would’ve been interesting. Overall, really enjoyed the parts on Iran and Russia. He focused on the Gerasimov doctrine which technically isn’t even a thing?? Primakov doctrine would’ve been more suitable.
If I had to be picky, the part on China felt rushed, and I wish he would have focused more on China, UNCLOS EEZs, and the nine dash line… maybe even touch up on Taiwan and TSMC. Would’ve been interesting. Overall, really enjoyed the parts on Iran and Russia. He focused on the Gerasimov doctrine which technically isn’t even a thing?? Primakov doctrine would’ve been more suitable.
March 11, 2025
Jones focuses on three men Russian Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov; the deceased Iranian Major General Qassem Soleimani; and vice chairman of China’s Central Military Commission Zhang Youxia to highlight the irregular warfare being waged by Russia, Iran and China.
Why I started this book: It never fails, all my holds arrive at once, I feel compelled to finish them as fast as possible to shorten the line for the next person.
Why I finished it: Fascinating with critics for both American political parties. And the biggest critic for the military members who are preparing for the war that they want to fight, not the war that is being waged.
Why I started this book: It never fails, all my holds arrive at once, I feel compelled to finish them as fast as possible to shorten the line for the next person.
Why I finished it: Fascinating with critics for both American political parties. And the biggest critic for the military members who are preparing for the war that they want to fight, not the war that is being waged.
Read
October 29, 2025This book opened my eyes of what's really happening globally and l wonder if we can go back from the way we used to.
"Let America be America again
Let it be the dream it used to be
Let it be the pioneer on the plain
Seeking a home where he himself be free"
These lines stayed with me even after I finished reading.
I highly recommend this book. Mr. Jones made me think about things I'd never consider before. I am not into politics and I came from a third world country which do not really care about politics, but my birth country was mentioned in this book that captured my attention.
"Let America be America again
Let it be the dream it used to be
Let it be the pioneer on the plain
Seeking a home where he himself be free"
These lines stayed with me even after I finished reading.
I highly recommend this book. Mr. Jones made me think about things I'd never consider before. I am not into politics and I came from a third world country which do not really care about politics, but my birth country was mentioned in this book that captured my attention.
March 1, 2023
I had high hopes for this book but ended up generally dissatisfied. Most of the content, while factually accurate, is surface-level Captain Obvious commentary on contemporary world affairs with respect to Russia, China, and Iran. Considering the scope of interviews the author conducted, one would expect deeper insights from the likes of Gen. Petraeus (something other than quoting Petraeus saying Sun Tzu’s The Art of War is a significant work).
September 26, 2024
Jones utilises 3 individuals as the framework ro build out descriptions and examples of Russian, Chinese and and Iranian irregular warfare campaigns over the last 20 years. It is an excellent US perspective on recent history and what was going on while most western nations were focused on counter-terrorism. Additionally, it gives the reading a perspective as to why these nations acr in this manner and forces the reader to reflect on western power and institutions.
October 7, 2021
Jones spells out the ways these countries are using irregular warfare against the U.S. and stresses that we need to up our own capabilities to combat and use irregular warfare. Not sure how I feel about us doing the kinds of things these opponents are, but it does seem we need to have a more active defense against these tactics.
November 8, 2021
Jones has an interesting framing for a book on hybrid warfare. Fascinating biographical accounts. Well researched for its brevity. It makes for an insightful read for those interested in understanding the multifaceted threats that Russia, China, and Iran pose to U.S. national security and international interests.
January 29, 2024
I've always been a fan of books on US national security, and this book didn't disappoint. Written by a think tank staffer with incredible interviews with America's leading national security experts, this book is written well and illustrates the growing threats by China, Russia, and Iran. I really enjoyed the practical chapter at the end on ways forward. Only 200 pages in length too.
March 30, 2024
Must read to understand how America's adversaries have been conducting a misinformation war against us for more than a decade, attempting to fracture communities, creating dissent/divisiveness by manipulating news/media.
April 12, 2024
The history presented in this is greatly intriguing, especially when taken against the backdrop of everything going on in the world today. The interplay of the stories lays a great foundation of understanding the countries these men represent.
September 28, 2024
Very interesting to breakdown state strategies and peak behind the curtain to delve into the "dangerous men" who helped develop and inact irregular warfare globally, particularly against the United States.
October 26, 2022
Worth reading for a broader comparison between some of the major antagonists of the Western world.
December 30, 2022
Good introductory book about the three enemies
April 17, 2024
Interesting bios. Probably more interesting closer to the events he describes.
October 31, 2023
Great book on irregular warfare!!!
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews