I’m Back!
Finishing my latest book will now give me more time to write for Substack.
Dear Substack Readers,
I have not been as active on the platform lately because I have been desperately trying to finish writing my latest book on great power competition. Yesterday, I mailed the final chapters to my publisher! Of course, there will be more rounds of edits, but after years of work on this work, I now have completed tight drafts of all the chapters. The initial draft was way too long, over 1,200 pages. This new draft comes in at 633 pages. And it’s only 565 pages if you don’t count the footnotes. It may even be a little shorter than my last book, From Cold War to Hot Peace: An American Ambassador in Putin’s Russia (still available, of course, here!) The table of Contents is below. We are still discussing a final title if you have thoughts. I’ll send details on the final publication date when they become available.
It’s a great relief to have this draft done. But now, I’m pivoting back to my next Substack essay on Trump’s very bad idea to purchase Greenland. Look for that soon,
Mike
Autocracy Versus Democracy: China, Russia, and the New World Order
Or
Autocrats Versus Democrats: Cold War Lessons for Dealing with China and Russia Today
By Michael McFaul
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: New Cold Wars?
Part I: The Past
Power, Regimes, and Leaders
Chapter 2. The Origins of U.S.-Russia Confrontation
Chapter 3: The Origins of U.S.-China Confrontation
Part II: The Present
Power, Ideology, and the Global Order
Hard Power
Chapter 4: The Rise and Fall of American Hegemony
Chapter 5: The Balance of Power between the U.S. and Russia Today
Chapter 6: The Balance of Power between the U.S. and China Today
Ideational Power
Chapter 7: The Rise and Decline of Democracy as a Universal Value
Chapter 8: Exporting Putinism
Chapter 9: Exporting Xi Jinping Thought
Institutional Power
Chapter 10: The Rise and Decline of the Liberal International Order
Chapter 11: Russian Approaches to Global Order
Chapter 12: Chinese Conceptions of Global Order
Part III: The Future
Lessons and Non-Lessons from the Cold War for How to Deal with China and Russia Today
Chapter 13: Avoiding Cold War Mistakes
Chapter 14: Replicating Cold War Successes
Chapter 15: New Challenges Need New Policies
Chapter 16: Conclusion
Excellent, thank you for your work, it is critically needed to frame the current dystopian period and establish a sound path forward.
Great table of contents! Indeed, the hardest thing for a scholar/author to do is boil the heck out of one's draft, if I may speak in culinary terms, until you get that perfect, concentrated sauce at the end. As someone who has traveled many times to Central and Eastern Europe and who has lived in China, the geopolitical lessons of your book will be vitally important. I hope you can write the Prologue at the last possible minute before running the presses because of the ensuing volatility ahead. 'Twill be very insightful to say the least.