when america goes to war, one family is caught in the crossfire
The U.S. Navy is stretched to the breaking point. American ships are aging. Overseas commitments are multiplying. And tensions with China have reached a boiling point over the future of Taiwan and the world's most advanced semiconductor technology.
Then China strikes first.
A devastating missile barrage cripples the U.S. Pacific Fleet. American satellites are blasted from orbit. Cut off from GPS, communications, and real-time intelligence, U.S. forces are thrown into chaos as a modernized Chinese navy blockades Taiwan and seizes control of the Pacific's vital sea lanes.
The United States fights back. Fleets clash across the Pacific. Casualties mount. Precision weapons run dry. What begins as a high-tech conflict descends into a brutal war of attrition—and China is winning.
Caught in the middle is Admiral Will Cole. On the verge of retirement and determined to repair the bonds strained by a lifetime at sea, Cole suddenly finds himself thrust into the fight for America's survival.
As the war spirals toward an uncertain conclusion, Will Cole must lead the U.S. Navy through its darkest hour—or watch the balance of power shift forever.
The next Pacific war has begun.
Praise for red tide
KIRKUS Starred Review
U.S. Naval institute book of the year
Named Best Thriller of 2025 by Best Thriller Books
“Authentic and electrifying, RED TIDE’s shocking sea actions and high-stakes geopolitical dramas rhyme with history and ring with truth. This is one sea story you don’t want to miss!”
—Admiral James Stavrides, former NATO Allied Supreme Commander and NYT Bestselling author of 2034 - A Novel of the Next World War
“M.P. Woodward’s Red Tide is a high-stakes, adrenaline-laced naval thriller ripped straight from tomorrow’s headlines. The best thriller I’ve read this year! With missiles in the air and warships on the move, it’s a masterclass in geopolitical strategy and military tactics, humanized through a foundation of bonds forged in the crucible of combat. A former U.S. Naval Intelligence officer, Woodward brings authentic insight and razor-sharp storytelling to every page, creating a terrifyingly plausible scenario of the next world war, one I pray remains a work of fiction. Read it today!”
—Jack Carr, #1NYT bestselling author of Cry Havoc and The Terminal List
“Simply superb. In Red Tide, M.P. Woodward delivers an epic tale reminiscent of Tom Clancy’s Red Storm Rising masterpiece. Military thriller aficionados rejoice—this is what you’ve been waiting for!”
—Don Bentley, NYT bestselling author of Forgotten War and the Vince Flynn series