Crouching Tiger: What China’s Militarism Means for the World

Description

For nearly fifty years, the United States has ruled supreme in Asia and the Pacific. China now threatens this Pax Americana; every advantage that America’s military has is being undermined by advanced technology stolen from other nations, overwhelming productive capabilities, non kinetic bullying, and the supreme Chinese talent in asymmetrical warfare.

This is a difficult book to read; it is concise, yes, but it is disturbing to realize that the vaunted American military’s abilities are soon to be dwarfed by that of China’s People’s Liberation Army. The author makes claims that sound like fear- and warmongering to the neophyte, but he supports his claims with hard evidence and backs his conjectures with references to top experts on China, its military capabilities, and the inadequacy of the US forces. The writing style is fluid and moves quickly to highlight each relevant point; the multiple choice questions, in particular, served to reveal Chinese goals and illuminated my obliviousness to the situation in China, which statement adequately describes the book as a whole.

This book is not meant for a cozy afternoon in the nook, but it is a book that America must read if she expects to maintain her hegemony in the East.