White Sun War

The Campaign for Taiwan

By: Mick Ryan

Narrated by: Joshua Saxon

After decades of poising on the brink, the United States and China finally go to war when China invades the island of Taiwan. Deploying their most futuristic technologies in this grand strategic competition of the twenty-first century, the stakes could not be higher. Not only the future of the Taiwanese people but the fate of the world lies in the balance.

In an era when humans no longer just use machines, but partner with them in all aspects of military operations, this fictional account views this future war through the eyes of the American, Chinese, and Taiwanese caught up in the maelstrom, revealing the heartbreak, courage, leadership, and despair of high-tech warfare played out on land, at sea, in space, and in cyberspace.

White Sun War asks listeners to ponder anew an essential question for the future of security in western Pacific and the entire Indo-Pacific region: is a war for Taiwan winnable?

©2023 Mick Ryan (P)2023 Tantor

Excellent anticipation of technology

The author is extremely creative in his development of this story. I especially liked his description of new technology using a fictional war without getting bogged down in the details of a particular battle within the conflict in Taiwan.

Engaging

While I appreciate a dry tactical tome, this was much more savoury! The parts that detailed modern warfighting were particularly salient.

Entering Story

Like numerous other books on this topic, the person reading the story cannot pronounce “littoral” and it takes away from the performance greatly.

1. **Littoral**: This term is used to describe areas or regions that are near or along the shore of a sea or a lake. It is often used in geography, ecology, and marine biology to refer to coastal environments.
- Example: "The littoral zone is rich in marine life."

2. **Litteral**: This is a common misspelling of the word "literal." "Literal" means taking words in their most basic sense without metaphor or exaggeration. It refers to the exact, straightforward meaning of something.
- Example: "When he said he was 'dying of laughter,' he didn't mean it in the literal sense."

So, "littoral" relates to coastal areas, while "literal" (sometimes misspelled as "litteral") pertains to the exact meaning of words.

Surprise, deception, adaptability and tech win out

White Sun War posits a future Chinese Communist Party invasion of Taiwan as a fully integrated human, AI and robotic conflict, in all spheres of operation including space and cyber. Despite the steady stream of intel, surprise is still possible.

A good read that integrates all the cutting edge elements of future warfare in an understandable and character-driven story.

Truly a ‘must’ read!

A brilliant techno-thriller that combines reasoned extrapolations from existing technologies with a fast paced yet very sobering narrative. Really enjoyed it & learned a lot.

just awesome

an excellent book for those interested in the future of war well written and well researched. I would highly recommend

Poor performance

The performer mispronounced several words (AD ver sa ry not ad VER sa ry). Very grating to hear.

Thought Provoking

While being a fictional story, it is very thought provoking to consider what could happen if this conflict happened.

Thoughtful take on one scenario

Great read! Like watching a war game.
Really enjoyed it as a way to visualize the Chinese combat force in action.

Must read!

What a great story! I was not a fan of the narration. He spoke to fast and did not take natural pauses. I had to slow the speed down and as a Marine. I didnt like his pronunciation of specific US Marine Corps units, terms and acronyms. I did like the change in tone and delivery base on which character he was speaking from though.

I would still recommend this book and the audiobook.