What We’re Reading: The Exceptional and the Unexceptional

Weekly reviews of what's on our bookshelves.

By
Ryan Bridges and Caroline D. Rose
-
548

American War By Omar El Akkad I almost don’t want to describe the backdrop of “American War” because it may be triggering for American readers and distract from the book’s message. (Not to mention my colleague Valentina Jovanovski did it well on this site two years ago.) But let’s just get it out of the […]

This article is for subscribers only

Join thousands of readers who rely on GPF for clear-eyed geopolitical analysis.

$79 per year Save 27% vs. monthly
✓Full access to all daily analysis & forecasts
✓George Friedman's geopolitical insights
✓2026 Forecast & Special Collection on the Middle East
✓100% reader-supported
Subscribe Now

30-day money-back guarantee

Already a subscriber? Log in

Ryan Bridges
Ryan Bridges
https://geopoliticalfutures.com/author/rbridges/
Ryan Bridges is an editor with Geopolitical Futures, having spent years both editing and writing geopolitical articles. He joined Geopolitical Futures in 2017 and spent over a year as a geopolitical analyst writing on Europe and focusing on issues relating to the European Union. His expertise as an editor was in high demand so he recently made the change back to editing rather than analyzing. Prior to Geopolitical Futures Mr. Bridges worked for seven years as an editor at Stratfor. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas, where he studied political science with a minor in philosophy. Mr. Bridges lives and works from Germany and also travels extensively in the region. He speaks some German.
Caroline D. Rose
Caroline D. Rose
Caroline Rose is a Senior Analyst and Head of the Power Vacuums program in the Human Security Unit at the New Lines Institute, where she focuses on contested territories, displacement, ungoverned spaces, and risks to human security. Prior to joining the New Lines Institute, Caroline served as an analyst at the forecasting firm and publication, Geopolitical Futures, where she worked on political, economic, and defense developments in the Middle East and Europe. She is also the author of a special policy report on the Captagon drug trade–a culmination of her studies and field work as Research Associate for the LSE International Drug Policy Unit’s Middle East Initiative. Her commentary and work on defense issues, security challenges, and geopolitical developments have been featured in The Washington Post, BBC News, Foreign Policy, Politico, Al Jazeera, Voice of America, The Financial Times, The Independent, and other outlets. Caroline holds a Master’s of Science in International History from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies from the American University’s School of International Service. She tweets at @CarolineRose8.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR