"[An] executive summary of modern political history studded with sweeping assertions and telling anecdotes." — The New York Times Book Review
"Thought-provoking." — Kirkus Reviews
"A succinct and credible assessment of Western government dysfunctions." — Publishers Weekly
"A shot in the arm...powerful.” — The Financial Times
"A readable and fascinating excursion." — The Economist
"With their customary wit and insight, John Mickethwait and Adrian Wooldridge offer a fresh take on an old theme: the decline of the West. The Wake-Up Call argues that Covid-19 has exposed not just one president's shortcomings but a much more profound degeneration of governance dating back long before 2016. Can the United States and whatever else remains of “the West” repair their broken systems sufficiently to compete with East Asia's alternatives? And who exactly is Bill Lincoln? You will read no more interesting book on the political consequences of the pandemic than this." — Niall Ferguson, author of Civilization: The West and the Rest
"COVID-19 was a wake-up call for the West - especially the United States. Micklethwait and Wooldridge offer a masterful analysis of Western failure, and a clear program for the future." — Anne Applebaum