The Return of Great Powers Review: Should You Buy It?
- Edmarverson A. Santos
- 2 days ago
- 7 min read
Introduction
Jim Sciutto’s book asks whether the world has already entered a new era of great-power confrontation, even if many readers still see Ukraine, Taiwan, NATO, China, Russia, cyber conflict, and nuclear threats as separate problems. In this The Return of Great Powers Review, I look at whether Jim Sciutto’s book gives buyers a clear map of today’s danger or simply adds another alarmed title to the current-affairs shelf.
The Return of Great Powers: Russia, China, and the Next World War is a reported geopolitics book by Jim Sciutto, CNN’s chief national security analyst. It is not a theory textbook, and it is not a detached history of every major power. Its value is more immediate: it connects the main flashpoints shaping global security and explains why old assumptions about post-Cold War stability now look weaker.
The buying judgment is positive, with one condition. Buy it if you want a serious, readable warning map of today’s geopolitical risks. Avoid it if you want a neutral academic framework, a Global South-centered account, or a deep theoretical study of multipolarity.
Where to Buy
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The Return of Great Powers Review: Buyer Fit
The real question is not whether Sciutto’s book is “good.” The real question is whether you want the type of book he has written.
The Return of Great Powers works best as a warning map. It helps readers understand why Russia’s war in Ukraine, China’s pressure on Taiwan, NATO’s revival, cyber operations, nuclear signalling, and Arctic competition belong to the same geopolitical moment. That is the book’s strongest buying value: it turns scattered headlines into one security picture.
This makes it a strong fit for readers who follow world affairs but want more structure. If you read about Ukraine one day, Taiwan the next, and nuclear threats the week after, the book gives you a way to understand why those issues are not isolated. It is especially valuable for educated general readers, international relations students, diplomacy readers, and buyers who want a serious entry point without an academic barrier.
The title may create slightly broader expectations than the book fully satisfies. This is not a complete history of all great powers or a balanced survey of every regional actor. It is mainly a reported warning about Russia, China, the United States, NATO, and the flashpoints that could escalate. That narrower frame is not a problem if the buyer understands it before purchasing.
Why Sciutto’s Warning Lands Now
The strongest reason to buy the book is timeliness. Sciutto writes from a national security reporting background, and that gives the book a direct, briefing-like quality. The reader gets a sense of how officials, analysts, and military leaders think about escalation risk in a world where war between major powers no longer feels impossible.
That matters because many current-affairs books age quickly. This one has a more durable angle because it is not only about one event. Ukraine is central, but the book also draws the reader toward Taiwan, Russia-China alignment, NATO, cyber risk, nuclear threats, and the wider collapse of post-Cold War confidence. The result is not a perfect theory, but it is a clear guide to the dangers shaping the present.
Positive buyer feedback tends to come from readers who want current events connected into one security picture, not from specialists looking for a new theory. The criticism is also useful for buyers: some readers see the framing as politically tilted, too familiar for people who already follow foreign policy closely, or too narrow in its attention to non-Western perspectives. Prices, ratings, reviews, and availability may change.
That pattern tells you how to buy the book intelligently. If you are already deep into Russia, China, NATO, and U.S. security policy, this may work better as a synthesis than a revelation. If you want a strong, readable account of why the global order feels more dangerous, it is a much better purchase.
The Limitation That Decides the Purchase
The main limitation is perspective. The Return of Great Powers is written through a Western national-security lens. That gives the book urgency and clarity, but it also narrows the field of vision.
Readers looking for a neutral textbook on great-power politics may find the tone too warning-driven. Readers looking for Chinese, Russian, Indian, African, Latin American, or smaller-state perspectives may want another book alongside it. Sciutto is strongest when explaining how the United States, NATO, Russia, China, Ukraine, and Taiwan fit into the present security crisis. He is not offering a complete global sociology of power.
This limitation should not be exaggerated. For the right buyer, it is acceptable because the book’s purpose is clear. It is a reported account of how major-power rivalry has returned to the center of world affairs. The problem only appears if the buyer expects the book to be something else.
So the clean buying rule is this: buy it for strategic awareness, not theoretical balance. Buy it to understand why policymakers are again thinking about major-power war. Do not buy it as your only book on international relations.
Best Format and Nearby Alternatives
The print or Kindle version is the better choice if you want to underline passages, take notes, or use the book for article research. The audiobook is attractive for commuting or travel because it is read by Sciutto himself, and the subject works well in a direct, spoken format. This is not a book that requires slow technical study, so audio is a practical option.
The closest alternative is David E. Sanger’s New Cold Wars. Choose Sanger if you want more emphasis on Washington, technology rivalry, U.S. decision-making, and the policy machinery behind competition with China and Russia. Choose Sciutto if you want the cleaner account of flashpoints, risks, and escalation logic.
John Mearsheimer’s The Tragedy of Great Power Politics serves a different buyer. Mearsheimer gives you the theory of great-power rivalry. Sciutto gives you the present warning. If you want intellectual structure, choose Mearsheimer first. If you want to understand why today’s world feels unstable right now, Sciutto is easier to enter.
Prisoners of Geography is another useful comparison. Tim Marshall explains power through geography. Sciutto focuses more directly on military, diplomatic, and nuclear danger. The best option depends on the reader’s question: geography, theory, or immediate conflict risk.
Conclusion: A Strong Buy for the Modern Warning Map
The Return of Great Powers is worth buying if you want a compact, readable, and forceful account of why great-power conflict has returned to the center of world politics. Its strength is connection. It links Ukraine, Taiwan, Russia, China, NATO, cyber conflict, nuclear risk, and the fading confidence of the post-Cold War era.
Its weakness is also clear. It is not a neutral academic survey, and it does not fully solve the need for non-Western or smaller-state perspectives. But that does not undermine its value for the right buyer.
Buy it if you want a serious warning map from a national security journalist. Skip it if you want a textbook, a theory-first work, or a globally balanced study of every major actor. Used correctly, Sciutto’s book is a strong addition to a modern geopolitics reading list.
Where to Buy
(This article contains affiliate links. If you buy through these links, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.)
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FAQ
What is The Return of Great Powers about?
The Return of Great Powers is about renewed major-power rivalry involving Russia, China, the United States, NATO, Ukraine, Taiwan, cyber conflict, and nuclear risk. Jim Sciutto frames these issues as connected signs of a more dangerous global order. The book is not mainly a history of every great power. It is a reported warning about the flashpoints that could define the next phase of international security.
Is The Return of Great Powers worth reading?
Yes, if you want a clear and accessible guide to the risks behind today’s geopolitical headlines. The book is strongest for readers who follow world affairs but want Ukraine, Taiwan, Russia, China, NATO, and nuclear danger placed into one readable argument. It is less essential for specialists who already follow these debates daily and want new theoretical material.
Does the book have a Western perspective?
Yes. The book has a clear Western national-security perspective. That does not make it weak, but buyers should understand the angle before purchasing. Readers who want a U.S. and NATO-centered view of Russia, China, Ukraine, and Taiwan will probably find it valuable. Readers who want a more neutral, academic, or non-Western account should treat it as one source, not the whole reading list.
Is this a good first book on geopolitics?
It can be a good first book if your main interest is present-day conflict risk rather than theory. The writing is accessible, and the subject is directly tied to current events. However, beginners should not stop with this book. Pairing it with a theory-focused or geography-focused title would give a stronger foundation for understanding why great powers compete.
How does it compare with New Cold Wars?
New Cold Wars is better if you want a closer look at U.S. policy, technology competition, and Washington’s response to China and Russia. The Return of Great Powers is better if you want a direct account of flashpoints and escalation risks. The two books overlap, but Sciutto’s book is the cleaner choice for readers focused on immediate danger.
Is the audiobook a good choice?
Yes, especially if you like current-affairs books in a direct, briefing-style format. Because the audiobook is read by Sciutto himself, the tone fits the subject. Choose audio for commuting, walking, or travel. Choose print or Kindle if you want to highlight sections, take notes, or use the book for research.
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