The triggering event for me was 25 years ago, the Islamist terror attacks of 9/11. I was in New York city that day meeting with some of my Booz Allen partners from the US, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Our meeting was disrupted by the news of the first crashes and most of us watched together as the buildings collapse on television. From our hotel we could see the smoke. Trapped together by the shutdown of transportation our partner discussions covered a range of topics about the individual attackers, their motivation, the forces behind them and possible global response.
Since that day, coordinated attacks against our democracy and our way of life continue. Authoritarian governments see our freedom of speech, freedom of religion, free elections, a free press, and free enterprise as threats. But these freedoms are also seen by them as weaknesses to be exploited.
This novel tells the story of a man, Lee Chang, who grew up in China post the Tiananmen Square riots, the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet Union. He and his patriotic fellow high school classmates conceived an "Asymmetric Warfare" approach to protect China from continued capitalist attacks, largely based on their juvenile martial arts training. Chinese intelligence supported their university education to flesh out their plan.
But Lee's own academic career was inspired by MLK's "I Have a Dream" speech. His PhD Psychology research defined a way to assess a person's character to enable better personnel decisions in business and government. However, he began to realize that his country's intelligence agency was using his findings to manipulate American citizens of weak character to undermine their society as part of a clandestine program of "Asymmetric Warfare." Sensing his concerns he was distanced from the work.
Moved to other assignments Lee served for three years on a WHO COVID task force to gather information and use his psychology skills to develop improved hospital pandemic procedures. During this time he fell in love with another task force member, an Italian medical doctor. He planned to quit his work for China and move to Italy to start a new life with her. But his plans to leave are discovered.
With the aid of his fiancée and her friend Lee barely escapes an attempt on his life. He seeks asylum with the Italians in exchange for his limited knowledge of the clandestine AW program. The broad strokes of the program emerge across education, politics, social justice, international trade as well as state and non-state actors. Although Lee and his new wife are finally beginning to feel safe in their new life together the intelligence agencies are frustrated with the lack of actionable facts. The conclusion shatters this situation for all.Blending espionage, psychology, international politics, love and redemption, Asymmetric Warfare is a timely geopolitical thriller about character, power, and the invisible wars fought before a single shot is fired.