Monika Chansoria?s book on the Senkaku Islands is a long-awaited work of excellence. Through her meticulous and objective examination of the Japanese and Chinese arguments, she marvellously sheds a revealing light on the true nature of the issue. As the maritime security of the Indo-Pacific faces formidable challenges, this book provides great lessons and deep insights. It, indeed, is a must read. Tracing the genesis of the Senkaku Islands in the memoirs of history, and its potential future, in the backdrop of the East China Sea?s brewing dispute, this book chronicles the journey of Sino-Japanese relations in the explicit context of the Senkaku Islands. The evolving power transition dynamics in East Asia render Washington the lynchpin of Tokyo?s diplomatic and security strategy, and vice versa. Conversely, China is abrasively displaying an almost predictable geo-strategic pattern and strategy of enforcing territorial claims across Asia, keeping it just below the threshold of provoking conflict, whilst testing the tenacity of existential status quoist norms. Consequentially, the need to steer Asia towards a regional order that maintains stability in the power equilibrium, thereby challenging a visibly coercive Sino-centric vision of the future Asia, especially within the Indo-Pacific, has become far more manifest than ever before.