The Vandenberg Coalition has released a special summer edition of its "Beyond the Water's Edge" publication, highlighting recent books by its Advisory Board members that address pressing national security challenges. These publications offer insights into various global issues, from historical American documents to contemporary geopolitical threats.
Among the featured works is "National Treasure: How the Declaration of Independence Made America" by Michael Auslin, published in 2026, which chronicles the Declaration's journey from its drafting to becoming a unifying national relic. Peter Berkowitz's 2025 book, "Explaining Israel: The Jewish State, the Middle East, and America," analyzes Israel's resilience amidst challenges like judicial reform proposals and the October 7, 2023, Hamas invasion.
Several books focus on the escalating threats posed by authoritarian adversaries. Bradley Bowman, Mark Montgomery, and Elaine Dezenski co-authored "Axis of Aggressors: Countering the Cooperation of China, Russia, Iran & North Korea" (2026), detailing the growing coordination across economic, cyber, technology, and military domains. Victor Cha, Ellen Kim, and Andy Lim explore China's use of economic interdependence as a coercive tool in "China's Weaponization of Trade: Resistance Through Collective Resilience" (2026), offering strategies to counter such pressure.
Other publications delve into strengthening American defense. Mackenzie Eaglen's "Affording Defense: Investing in American Strength to Confront a More Dangerous World" (2025) proposes solutions to bolster the U.S. military. Seth Jones's "The American Edge: The Military Tech Nexus and the Sources of Great Power Dominance" (2025) emphasizes the need for deeper partnerships with innovative tech companies to maintain military superiority. David Shedd and Andrew Badger's "The Great Heist: China's Epic Campaign to Steal America's Secrets" (2025) exposes China's extensive espionage efforts against the U.S. and its allies, providing a strategic playbook to address the issue. These works collectively aim to inform and guide discussions on safeguarding American interests in an increasingly complex world.