The Third World War

Chillingly plausible.
Mail-on-Sunday

Every strategic analyst’s worst nightmare. 
India Today

Credible – Tense – Terrifying
Too close to the bone to laugh away

The opening stages of the Third World War were more confusing and terrible than any war in history. Hundreds die in the Indian parliament in Delhi. The president of Pakistan is assassinated. A US military base is hit by a North Korean missile.

Intelligence reveals unnerving links between the attacks with authoritarian states working side by side with terror groups.  Each strike is aimed at weakening the world order controlled by America.
U.S. President, Jim West is a former navy pilot and has seen the horrors of war first-hand. He is determined to avoid all-out conflict.

Mary Newman, his young Secretary of State is a brilliant scholar in historical causes of war. She argues that America needs to make a swift, pre-emptive strike that would deter their enemies.

No-one is yet aware that war is unstoppable. Every decision West makes leads to more conflict.
The leaders of four great powers – America, China, India and Russia – become trapped on courses from which they cannot escape. Compromise spells defeat. War leads to destruction on all sides.

One by one, the very governments, America counted as allies become enemies, and the comfortable lives of citizens in modern societies verge on physical and emotional collapse.

Detail by authentic detail, Humphrey Hawksley captures the ominous feel of a world heading toward its own ruin.

Reviews

A superior-minded thriller based on recent history that maps out a possible, terrifying future and makes into plausible fiction the global political realities of our time.
Kirkus

Hawksley’s nightmare scenario focuses on the repercussions of wrong decisions.
Japan Times

A gripping thriller. the attention to detail is amazing.
Business Times

His highly realistic appraisal of international relations makes this imaginary story of future tragedy all too credible.
Taipei Times

Hawksley builds a scenario that is every strategic analyst’s worst nightmare.
India Today

Chillingly plausible. It all makes me feel nostalgic for the simple antagonism of the Cold War.
Mail-on-Sunday