Dragons and Serpents: The Evolution of the West's Enemies and Future Threats

In recent decades, many commentators and historians have spoken of the United States as a “hyperpower”—the most powerful nation in history. But as early as 1993, CIA Director James Woolsey warned that the West’s victory over the “great dragon” (the Soviet Union) was transforming into a confrontation with an incredible onslaught of “serpents” spawned by the Cold War.

In Dragons and Serpents, military scholar, scholar, and foreign policy expert David Kilcullen examines what the West’s adversaries have learned over the past 30 years. Combining evolutionary theory and detailed fieldwork, he explains what has happened to the “serpents”—nonstate threats, including terrorists and guerrillas. At the same time, he shows how the “dragons”—rival states such as Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea—have adapted.

The author skillfully unfolds the contemporary geopolitical landscape before the reader, explaining the strategies of large and small players, their motives and prospects. The book changes our understanding of the West's adversaries and at the same time shows scenarios for the future of the world in conditions of decreasing US influence.