2034: A Novel of the Next World War

2034 is a geopolitical thriller that imagines World War III as a naval clash between the United States and China in the South China Sea in the year 2034.

The authors wrote 2034: A Novel of the Next World War as a cautionary tale to urge readers to confront the dangerous realities of geopolitical rivalry between the United States and China.^[1] The authors drew on their personal experiences in war as inspiration, with Stavridis stating that the book's opening scene (which featured a freedom of navigation patrol in the South China Sea) was accurate to his experience as a commander of destroyers.^[2]

According to review aggregator Book Marks, the novel received mostly positive reception from critics. The Washington Post published a positive review, specifically directing praise at the book's prose and refusal to label the war as having been sparked by any specific political party.^[3] The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal praised the book's characters, especially their inner conflicts about the war and its origins.^[4][5] The New York Journal of Books was also positive, with the reviewer directing praise at the prose for being technically accurate while still being entertaining.^[6] Publishers Weekly praised the book for its depiction of war at a human level, noting that it did not delve into hardware specifics like other military thrillers.^[7] Kirkus was similarly positive, describing the book as "required reading for our national leaders."^[8]