Autocrats vs. Democrats - by Michael McFaul (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

"A history, an analysis, and a set of prescriptions for the greatest geopolitical challenge of our time: the threat to the democratic world posed by China and Russia." --Anne Applebaum, author of Autocracy, Inc.

"A monumental account of contemporary geopolitics"--Francis Fukuyama, author of Liberalism and Its Discontents

The rise of China, Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and the reelection of President Donald Trump have reinforced a gloomy yet growing consensus: the old global order has ended, and a new Cold War has begun. And yet, many of the perils we face today are distinctly different from those we encountered from the Soviet Union. The alliance between the autocracies of China and Russia, China's economic might, the rise of the far right in the United States and Europe, and the disturbing isolationist foreign policy shifts of the Trump administration--taken together represent new challenges for the democratic world. They are threats with no precedent in the past century.

In this sweeping account of great power competition between the United States, China, and Russia over the past three centuries, Michael McFaul--former ambassador to Russia and international affairs analyst for NBC News--argues persuasively that today's challenges require fresh thinking, not constrained by distant memories of the Cold War or the nationalist dreams of MAGA. One of the preeminent thinkers on American foreign policy for decades, McFaul combines in-depth historical analysis with a forward-looking perspective, crafting a new grand strategy for America in this age of global disorder. Acknowledging how Xi's China, Putin's Russia, and Trump's America are upending the current international system, Autocrats vs. Democrats makes the case against America's retreat from the world, detailing why:

Russia's disruptive ambitions should not be underestimated.China's capabilities should not be overestimated.Trump's shift toward isolationism and autocracy will weaken America's place in the world.

At once a clarion call for American diplomacy and a forceful rebuttal of the Trump administration's policies, Autocrats vs. Democrats provides a nuanced assessment of the China and Russia threats, as well as a bold vision for renewing America's leadership on the world stage.

Review Quotes

"Autocrats vs. Democrats examines the competing ideologies shaping US, China, and Russia relations today, how we got here, what's at stake, and where US foreign policy can go next. For those who still believe in the promise of international engagement and democratic ideals to advance American interests abroad, Michael McFaul's book offers both clarity and hope." -- Hillary Rodham Clinton, author of Something Lost, Something Gained: Reflections on Life, Love, and Liberty

"In Autocrats vs. Democrats, Michael McFaul offers a history, an analysis, and a set of prescriptions for the greatest geopolitical challenge of our time: the threat to the democratic world posed by China and Russia. This is the American grand strategy for our time--a guide for the next generation of leaders." -- Anne Applebaum, author of Autocracy, Inc.

"In this tour de force of history, theory, and policy experience, Michael McFaul illuminates the evolving conflicts and alignments between the United States and its illiberal great power rivals, tracing the contemporary world order's journey from the optimistic expectations of post-Cold War liberal internationalists to today's troubled moment." -- G. John Ikenberry, author of A World Safe for Democracy: Liberal Internationalism and the Crises of Global Order

"Autocrats vs. Democrats is a monumental account of contemporary geopolitics--where Russia, China, and the US stand today, how they got there, and where they are likely to go. Michael McFaul brings vast knowledge as both an academic and a practitioner to this critical subject." -- Francis Fukuyama, author of Liberalism and Its Discontents

"An insightful and vigorous argument for democracy in a world of new threats--not all foreign." -- Kirkus Reviews