Red Tide: A Novel of the Next Pacific War

M.P. Woodward, a New York Times bestselling author and former U.S. Naval Intelligence officer, presents a military thriller set in a near-future conflict between the United States and China. America's Navy faces severe strain as China's combat fleet expands. Both nations compete for access to advanced semiconductor chips produced exclusively in Taiwan. When China attacks first, casualties rise and high-tech weapons are depleted in a war of attrition that favors the Chinese. Rear Admiral Will Cole, the outgoing operations officer of the Pacific Fleet, is preparing for retirement after thirty years of service. He plans to rebuild his marriage and hand leadership to the next generation—his oldest son Henry, an F-18 pilot; middle son Jamie, a merchant marine officer; and daughter Lucy, who works in defense contracting. These plans collapse when the Pacific Fleet commander orders Cole stateside to push the political establishment to address the growing Pacific threat. When war erupts, Cole is tasked with an impossible mission: destroy the Chinese fleet and retake Taiwan before it is too late. He risks his career, his Navy, and his family in a final fleet amphibious action. The narrative spans Washington, Taiwan, and the South Pacific, exploring the U.S. Navy's role as guarantor of freedom at sea in the twenty-first century.