Hugh White has taken considerable criticism for arguments he makes in How to Defend Australia. But in addressing how to secure the nation amidst an uncertain regional order, stimulating discussion is one of his key aims. Since publication of his 2010 Quarterly Essay, Power Shift: Australia’s Future between Washington and Beijing, Hugh has been inviting us into a stream of consciousness, of sorts, as he interprets the power dynamic in the Indo-Pacific. This book is unlikely to be the conclusion of that conversation, but it puts a finger on a number of points that Australians must consider as the future of the region becomes less clear.