Winston and Sachdeva sounded the alarm. On the rise, once again, is a state bent on dominating the world. As was the case in former failed empires, modern technologies, a well-oiled propaganda machine, and the cruelest and most heartless of strategies have been employed. As a former long-term member of the international staff associated with the United Nations, whose central aim is peace between and among nations, I find the silence of UN member nations deafening. Must we, again, mark this new century with another powerful and unyielding tyrannical nation whose aim is to systematically crush the remaining freedoms of those who live on planet Earth?

This quest starts with one’s neighbors. The South China Sea is a proxy test for every nation in the world, reminding each of the encroachments made by former tyrant nations. In 2020, concerns became heightened with the illegal seizure of sovereignty from nearby weaker nations as aptly described in the expose provided in “Raging Waters in the South China Sea” and the other books in this series. By hook, crook, or salami slicing, inch-by-inch of sovereignty is being clawed away from states through any means possible to ensure domination.

As a concerned U.S. citizen, I fear that the sleeping dragon may already have compromised the capacity of free nations to control their own destiny. Captivated by the lure of capital and seduced by the sublime rhetoric that vaguely resembles past authoritarian calls for unity, this episode is repeating a refrain of concentration camps and torture that the UN’s charter sought to never hear again. Yet, nations are silent, accepting contracts now in lieu of a dark future of totalitarianism.

The horrors of human rights, torture, and abuse alone should shock and move any of us who value our own physical and mental well-being.  The message that comes over to me is that we, all of us, who say we care, can make a difference. We can stop supporting the hungry dragon. We know how. The agenda of passionate environmentalists is surely empty of moral authority if it cannot actively address the ravage and rape of the remaining precious coral; if it cares not for the destruction of the seabed and the overfishing that ultimately will deplete many species of fish to their extinction. Among probable consequences is malnutrition, if not outright hunger of tens of millions – first of Southeast Asians and then the rest of the human race.

This is a must-read, a wakeup call. The book itself is clear, understandable, and in readable English. The text of this series of books is unique in its presentation of charts, graphs, maps, and pictorial representations of the South China Sea, Asia, and the extent of surveillance, control, and reach of China and its expansive, global claims.

Dr. David A. Waugh

United Nations, Retired

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The collaborative project of authors Rachel A. Winston and Ishika Sachdeva, “Raging Waters in the South China Sea” is a contemporary study that is packed with more than a hundred color illustrations, maps, and timelines. This enlightening and provocative history of the South China Sea conflict is an impressive compendium of information expertly organized and presented. While there are hundreds of footnotes to lead interested readers to further investigate topics, this is not meant to be restricted to the academic community as much as it is written to inform the non-specialist general reader with an interest in the subject. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community, college and university library International Diplomacy and Southeast Asia History collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that “Raging Waters in the South China Sea” is also readily available in a paperback edition (9781946432056, $48.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99). 

John Burroughs

Midwest Book Reviews

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China’s Power Grab Review

This text is an all-round primer on the immediate hegemonic threat that the Central Communist Party (CCP) poses to its Asian neighbors and, ultimately, the rest of the world, especially liberal democracies. It’s a decently easy-to-read academic text interspersed with colorful photos and illustrations from first page to last. It’s painstakingly researched with a plethora of footnotes on every page meticulously documenting all the authors’ claims, both big and small, against today’s CCP.

From the outset, to aid readers wade through voluminous abbreviations and acronyms, there’s an alphabetical listing of such terms following the initial Table of Contents. This serves as a practical supplement to guide readers on their way to a real and thorough understanding of this book’s alarming predictions.

For readers not so academically inclined, at the outset there’s an easy-to-comprehend analysis of the Chinese model for underbidding foreign competition in international markets by way of insidious manipulation of their cheap labor markets, e.g., concentration camp and slave labor. Also elaborated upon at length are the curtailment of foreign involvements in China’s markets and widespread surreptitious theft and usurpation of intellectual property. An eye-opener for sure.

For those foreign-based companies chomping-at-the-bit to access China’s vast markets (with 1.4 billion people), the authors duly warn that “the unrecognized, underlying costs are likely to drastically change our present-day way of life.” For worse. Far worse. It’s an ominous wake-up call for all complacent citizenry residing in liberal democracies everywhere.

—Ron Roman

    Associate Professor (Ret.)

    University of Maryland (UMUC), now University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC)

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