Goodbye Globalization: The Return of a Divided World

GOLD MEDALLIST IN THE 2024 AXIOM BUSINESS BOOK AWARDS A bold new account of the state of globalization today—and what its collapse might mean for the world economy After the Cold War, globalization accelerated at breakneck speed. Manufacturing, transport, and consumption defied national borders, companies made more money, and consumers had access to an ever-increasing range of goods. But in recent years, a profound shift has begun to take place. Business executives and politicians alike are realising that globalization is no longer working. Supply chains are imperilled, Russia has been expelled from the global economy after its invasion of Ukraine, and China is using these fissures to leverage a strategic advantage. Given these pressures, what will the future of our world economy look like? In this groundbreaking account, Elisabeth Braw explores the collapse of globalization and the profound challenges it will bring to the West. Drawing on interviews with prominent executives and policymakers from around the world, Braw poses the difficult questions all businesses and economies will face—and traces the intricate story of globalization from the exuberant '90s to the embattled present.

About the Author :
Elisabeth Braw is a senior fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Transatlantic Security Initiative and a senior associate fellow at the European Leadership Network. She is a columnist with Foreign Policy and Politico Europe, where she writes on national security and the globalized economy, and is the author of God’s Spies and The Defender’s Dilemma.

Review :
“A timely study that offers many fascinating insights into the ideas and people behind globalisation. What could so easily have been a dry, scholarly text, is instead a pacy and very human story, weaving economics, technology and history into a compelling geopolitical narrative of the last three decades.”—PD Smith, The Guardian “Braw weaves a kind of tapestry of stories that grounds this huge international phenomenon in lived experiences. It’s clever, and it helps to make sense of a story that can otherwise seem very distant and abstract.”—Jeremy Williams, Earthbound Report “Where [Goodbye Globalization] shines is that it is told through first-hand accounts of local MPs, business leaders, policymakers and politicians as well as local civic leaders and civil servants.”—Latika Bourne, Latika Takes “Compelling. . . . Understanding the history of the last globalisation is essential, and for that alone Braw’s book is a must-read.”—David Landsman, British Foreign Policy Group “Even though written before the November 2024 US elections, this book . . . couldn’t have appeared at a better time. . . . [A] very comprehensive account of how globalisation worked—or didn’t.”—Vicky Pryce, Society for Professional Economists “Insightful. . . . While the era of globalisation promised unprecedented interconnectedness and prosperity, Braw astutely identifies the emerging fault lines that have led to its unravelling.”—Marc Ablong, ASPI 2024 CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title “Braw excels herself in this book. Sharply illustrated with real-life examples and vivid character sketches, closely argued and clearly written, she outlines the dangers unthinking globalisation created for our domestic cohesion and national security—and plots a path back from the brink.”—Edward Lucas, author of The New Cold War “Braw writes with long-established research authority and great personal wit, tracing the way so many optimistic expectations have been redefined; events and trends that leave us, indeed, with a new world to fashion as best we can. It’s the story of our era, and Elisabeth Braw tells it beautifully.”—Michael Clarke, author of The Challenge of Defending Britain “Braw has crafted a gem of a book, a trenchant, big-hearted account of the helter skelter history of globalisation, its slippery rise and apparent fall. Who shaped it, how did it lose its steam? Goodbye Globalization is peopled with hucksters and schemers but also philanthropists. . . . A fantastically eclectic cast of interview partners give insights into how it all went wrong.”—Roger Boyes, diplomatic editor of The Times “Braw has brilliantly explained the challenges we face now and in the coming years. We, the West, must get organized, strengthening our alliances while also strengthening our own national resilience in order to protect what has made us secure and prosperous. Elisabeth has shown us how.”—Lt Gen (ret.) Ben Hodges, former Commander General of United States Army Europe “The idea of mutual dependency between liberal democracies and authoritarian states brought money to some, but war and misery to many. Elisabeth Braw brilliantly analyses the causes behind the current global turmoil. Unfortunately more are set to come due to these misjudgements. Read this book and buckle up.”—Artis Pabriks, former deputy prime minister of Latvia