SEA CHANGE: AMERICA'S NEW GREAT GAME IN THE ARCTIC CIRCLE
BY RANA FOROOHAR
OCTOBER 6, 2026
PUBLISHER: CROWN
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A sweeping account of how the Arctic became the next arena of global conflict as the great powers battle over trade routes, resources, and military dominance from Greenland to Siberia—by award-winning Financial Times journalist Rana Foroohar.
As polar ice melts and new sea routes open, the Arctic has become the most consequential—and least understood—geopolitical theater in the world. In Sea Change, Rana Foroohar takes readers aboard America’s only Arctic icebreaker and inside the halls of power in Washington, Beijing, Moscow, and allied capitals to reveal how climate change is reshaping global trade, national security, and industrial policy.
Drawing on unprecedented access to Coast Guard missions, senior officials across multiple administrations, labor leaders, and international partners, Foroohar shows how being a strong sea power is vital and how the U.S. is struggling to catch up. She also explains how control of Arctic shipping lanes, shipbuilding capacity, underwater data cables, and untapped natural resources will determine economic and military supremacy in the decades ahead. Both a gripping voyage and a clear‑eyed analysis of global power, Sea Change argues that America’s future prosperity and security may well be decided at the top of the world.
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Indigo / Amazon
Reviews:
“This book proves it: Rana Foroohar has an uncanny ability to sense seismic shifts in economics and politics before the rest of us. Sea Change reveals as much about China’s vision of the future as it does about the Arctic, but it is also an escapist voyage on the human scale, a sheer pleasure to read.”—Evan Osnos, staff writer at The New Yorker and author of The Haves and Have-Yachts
“A new world order is being shaped in the High North, as countries including my own, Canada, as well as the United States, China, Russia, and many European nations stake a claim to one of the richest and most contested parts of our planet: the Arctic. Foroohar’s book gives us a fascinating, firsthand glimpse at what this modern-day Great Game will look like—and why it matters to us all.”—Chrystia Freeland, former deputy prime minister and minister of finance of Canada; economic advisor to the president of Ukraine
“The global economic order built by America in the post-WWII era is no longer fit for purpose. At a time when politics seem more polarized than ever before, Sea Change shows how we can build a new order in a way that is bipartisan, and good for both U.S. workers and American allies. A must-read for people who care about a better future.”—Jake Sullivan, former national security advisor of the United States
“For centuries, maritime power has been a prerequisite for economic and political supremacy. Today, America’s historic strength at sea is in danger of being eclipsed by China’s. In Sea Change, Foroohar gives us a page-turning tale of why ships matter as much as chips in the global economy, and why we must build again—at home and with allies abroad—to secure our future.”—Admiral James Stavridis, retired four-star U.S. naval officer
“Economic security is national security. Rana Foroohar makes that clear in this gripping account of competition between Russia, China, and the United States to shape the Arctic. The story she tells about shipbuilding, critical minerals, and the industrial base we let atrophy, is a must-read for policymakers, executives, and citizens alike.”—Gina Raimondo, fortieth U.S. commerce secretary
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See also:
Sea Change as reviewed by Heidi Vierow for The Cipher Brief – October 15, 2026
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 The U.S. Navy destroyers Porter and Donald Cook, right, replenish from the fast combat support ship Supply while operating above the Arctic Circle (U.S. Navy photo courtesy of the Royal Navy)
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About the book:
Sea Change: America's New Great Game in the Arctic Circle
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by Rana Foroohar
Crown – 264 pages $18.99 (Kindle)
Publication Date: October 6, 2026
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About the Author: Rana Foroohar
Rana Foroohar is the author of Don’t Be Evil, which won a Porchlight Business Book Award, Makers and Takers, and Homecoming. Currently the global business columnist and associate editor for the Financial Times and the global economic analyst for CNN, she has served as the assistant managing editor and economic columnist at Time and an economic and foreign affairs editor and foreign correspondent at Newsweek. Rana Foroohar is a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations and sits on the board of the Open Markets Institute.
Biography Credit: PenguinRandomHouse
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