Austin Bay’s resume is manifold: Author and syndicated columnist, professor, developmental aid advocate, radio commentator, retired reserve soldier, war game designer, consultant in organizational planning and training simulations.

To date, Bay has authored two non-fiction books, three novels, and one pamphlet (Embrace the Suck) on language and military lingo. Embrace the Suck is now in an expanded second edition. Listen to an NPR interview about this “milspeak” pamphlet and read a selection of definitions.

Bay’s latest non-fiction book is Cocktails from Hell (Bombardier Books, 2018). The book analyzes how belligerents in five 21st century wars create and attempt to employ power combinations – power cocktails made with the “elements of power,” to include diplomacy, information, military and economic power. The book discusses “narrative warfare” as an integrated element in Russian operations (covert and overt) and Chinese strategic warfare. The wars Cocktails… addresses are Korea, China in the South China Sea and Himalayas, Russia in Ukraine, Iran in Yemen and Congo in anarchy.