By Robbin Laird
My friend and colleague, New York Times best-selling writer George Galdorisi, has written a political-military thriller that is prescient regarding today’s events.
His book, Fire and Ice, published by Braveship Books March 2021, has a high concept that essentially predicted what is dominating our daily news: Putin holding Europe hostage to Russia’s energy, brutally attacking and occupying an Eastern European nation, and committing crimes against humanity, all while protests rage in Russia.
Life imitates art.
Galdorisi’s scenario is different from the Ukraine invasion, but highlights the impact of nuclear weapons, in his book, nucs being grabbed by a terrorist group.
He writes the novel from the standpoint of an intelligence operative, deployed to Europe, to work with others to solve the problem.
But the book also highlights Putin the competitor, who was competing with the Americans and NATO to recover the loose nucs.
But in his book, Galdorisi provides insight into the need to work with Putin, no matter how difficult.
Frankly, how you negotiate with authoritarian leaders is not a U.S. strong point and is a weak link in working what I have argued is the central challenge facing the liberal democracies, namely conflict with authoritarian powers, crisis management and escalation control.
A sense of the flavor of the challenge which must be met is provided in this passage in Galdorisi’s book:
“Did we both almost wind up in the middle of World War III?” Holden asked.
“I think so,” she replied. “People underestimate Vladimir Putin, and when they do, things go off the rails.”
“Do you think we have him back in the box now?”
“Hard to say.”
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