Steve Feldstein, "Bytes and Bullets: Global Rivalries, Private Tech, and the New Shape of Modern Warfare" (St. Martin's Press, 2026)
New Books in Science, Technology, and Society

Steve Feldstein, "Bytes and Bullets: Global Rivalries, Private Tech, and the New Shape of Modern Warfare" (St. Martin's Press, 2026)

B2Upper-intermediateAugust 23, 202645 min

Steve Feldstein's Bytes and Bullets: Global Rivalries, Private Tech, and the New Shape of Modern Warfare (St. Martin's Press, 2026) opens with a juxtaposition: China spending vast sums to reach the far side of the moon, and Ukraine using cheap drones to blunt a far larger military. Both are stories about technology and power, but they point in opposite directions. In our conversation, Feldstein argues that the outcome of technological competition is not predetermined. Small states, non-state actors, and private companies with the right engineers can now challenge much stronger adversaries. We discuss Iran, whose military innovation grew out...

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Welcome to the New Books Network. Hello, welcome to the New Books Network. I'm your host, Elionora Matiachi, an associate professor of political science at Amherst College. Today, I'm here with Steve Feldstein, who's a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for

0:20

International Peace in their Democracy, Conflict and Governance Program. His new book is titled Bites and Bullets, Global Rivalries, Private Tech, and the Future of Modern Warfare. The book was published in 2026 by St. Martin's Press.

0:38

Steve, thank you for joining us and welcome. Thanks for having me do the podcast, Elianora. Really appreciate it. Steve, in 2021, you published a book titled The Rise of Digital Repression.

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