He has written six books. His latest book is a study of Winston Churchill’s diplomacy, Churchill as Appeaser: The Bulldog’s Prudence, 1931-1935, which will appear with Polity Books in 2027.
Patrick’s last book makes the case for realism, and is written for people new to the study of international politics: How to Survive a Hostile World: Power, Politics and the Case for Realism was published by Stanford University Press, 2025.
He is currently writing an article on the debate over the use of International Relations theory in ancient history, “Exceptional Predator? Realism and Roman Imperialism, 264-168 BCE.”
He also writes policy discussion papers in the realm of “grey” literature, most recently with the British Academy series, Atomic Disorder: the Re-Nuclearization of the world (2026). With Michael Mazarr, in 2021 he wrote Countering China's Adventurism Over Taiwan: A Third Way with the Lowy Institute.
His book Blunder: Britain's War in Iraq was shortlisted for the British Army Military Book of the Year Prize, 2019.
He also wrote The False Promise of Liberal Order: Nostalgia, Delusion and the Rise of Trump; The Global Village Myth: Distance, War and the Limits of Power and Military Orientalism: Eastern War through Western Eyes.
His work has appeared in academic journals including International Security, Security Studies, the Journal of Strategic Studies, International Affairs and Journal of Global Security Studies. He wrote lead articles in both International Security and Security Studies.
In the wider public domain, he has written for The Critic, where is he Contributing Editor, as well as The New Statesman, Spectator, Literary Review, First Things, The Washington Quarterly, The National Interest, Politico, Unherd, and Australian Financial Review.