War Is Interested in You by Gideon Rachman review – are we on the brink of world war three?

Humanity is in a particularly unsafe spot right now, with security issues laid out in Gideon Rachman's latest survey of global diplomacy. The book draws its title from the expression attributed to Trotsky: 'You may not be interested in war, but war is interested in you' – suggesting conflict will come regardless of our preparedness.

The most powerful, nuclear-armed states – the US, China and Russia – are led by unscrupulous, self-dealing 'strongmen', each playing with nationalist 'Great Again' politics epitomised by Trump. Democracy is being rolled back worldwide, even in liberal bastions like the UK, France and Germany, which seem vulnerable to takeover by Putin-friendly far-right movements.

Unprecedented Conflicts

The so-called rules-based international order and its institutions – the UN, WTO, Nato – are being deliberately undermined by these strongmen and are as weak as they have ever been. Putin has described the new world order with the term 'might makes right', resulting in conflicts breaking out at a rate unprecedented in the postwar era.

According to Rachman, there were 61 conflicts in 2024 alone, including 11 full-blown wars. This encompassed Gaza as well as less visible conflicts like Sudan, which had led to 150,000 battlefield deaths by mid-2025. In 2026, many 'state-based conflicts' continue, including the largest land war in Europe since 1945 (Ukraine) and the most disruptive in the Middle East for over 20 years (Iran).

Taiwan Flashpoint

Among potential flashpoints, Taiwan may offer the fastest route to a world war, as it could bring China and the US into direct conflict. For decades, Taiwan's security was guaranteed by US naval superiority; now Beijing, after a massive military buildup, has more warships than Washington. The single Chinese shipyard on Changxing Island has more capacity than all US yards combined.

Xi Jinping knows that if the US comes to Taiwan's aid, the result would be a bloodbath, which is why US presidents have mostly emphasized commitment to Taiwan. Trump has been more ambivalent, declaring in May 2026 that 'I think the last thing we need right now is a war that's 9,500 miles away' – increasing the risk of China attempting an assault.

Failed Mechanisms

Rachman examines mechanisms that have maintained peace but finds them wanting. The rules-based international order barely functioned in its heyday; now, as Mark Carney put it plainly, it 'no longer works': we are living through a 'rupture'. The 'Golden Arches' theory – that no two nations with McDonald's will wage war – was disproved in the 1990s, and democracies have been declining since 2006.

Deterrence still largely keeps us safe but hasn't prevented fighting between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan, and China and North Korea are rapidly expanding their atomic arsenals. As American primacy declines, we're left with a global version of Trump's 'Donroe doctrine', where each major power gets a 'sphere of influence' – Washington in the Americas, Beijing in east Asia, Moscow in the old Soviet zone.

While Rachman's outlook is undeniably gloomy, his book is not. His writing is engaging and anecdotal, bringing vast experience to a vital subject. He won't say a new world war is inevitable, but the threat is becoming impossible to ignore.