Dragon Falls is a military techno-thriller featuring retired Navy Commander Jack Tanner, who deploys agentic AI systems to combat Chinese cyber warfare, PRC surveillance networks, and autonomous drone swarms in a deadly shadow war across Malaysia. When elite MSS operatives target him for elimination, Tanner must outmaneuver Beijing’s most sophisticated intelligence apparatus using his Virtual Intelligence Center, a team of AI agents, to expose a plot that threatens to destabilize Southeast Asia through unrestricted warfare.

About the Author

Bob Gourley is a recognized authority at the intersection of national security and emerging technology. A former U.S. Navy intelligence officer with operational experience throughout Asia and Europe, Bob later served as Chief Technology Officer and co-founder of OODA.com, where he guides organizations through cybersecurity, AI, and big data challenges. His expertise in artificial intelligence and deep understanding of defense and intelligence missions have made him a trusted advisor to decision-makers and innovators worldwide. Bob brings authentic operational experience to his techno-thrillers, creating stories grounded in real capabilities and genuine strategic insights. He continues to explore the next frontier of AI and technology for a safer world.

What They Are Saying

A rare thriller that actually understands the battlefield- and proves it on every page. The tradecraft is real, the sequences are spot on, and the stakes are exactly where they should be: on America’s need to understand Beijing’s shadow war. Read it for the pulse; keep it for the warning order.
– Shyam Sankar, CTO, Palantir

Most novelists write from research but the ones I enjoy and respect most are those who write from actual experience.  Such is the case with Bob Gourley’s “Dragon Falls, Standing Up to Beijing’s Shadow War.  This military techno-thriller is not only timely because of China’s aggressive expansion in the fields of both military and cyber, but also because it is an educational ride written by someone with decades-long experience in the intelligence and the cyber community.  A true, modern day historical fiction! I have had the honor of working with Bob for several years and I can attest that he is expert in this field.  Enjoy the ride!  
– Ric Prado, Author of Black Ops: The Life of a CIA Shadow Warrior

This book is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the fast-changing modern battlefield.  It does for AI-powered warfare what Kill Chain did for drone warfare. This novel is as if a Tom Clancy novel and Unrestricted Warfare had a baby, and it grew up in today’s technological and geopolitical world.  Timely, astute, covering materials of the utmost importance, but all wrapped in the form of an extraordinarily polished, engaging, and entertaining pulse-pounding can’t-put-down techno-thriller.
– Pat Scannell, technologist, author of forthcoming (2026) The Disruption of Thought, and The Great Irony of Technology.

Bob Gourley’s Dragon Falls belongs on every national security professional’s bookshelf. The novel masterfully portrays how cyber operations, influence campaigns, and kinetic violence can be orchestrated by our adversaries. A must-read for those who want to understand the multi-faceted threats we face.
– Jim Miller, former Undersecretary of Defense for Policy

Dragon Falls isn’t just a thriller, it’s an insider’s view of how cyber warfare and high-tech attacks are currently threatening our world. No one knows the details like Bob Gourley. Terrifying and utterly authentic.
– Brad Meltzer, bestselling author of The Viper

Authentic, relentless, and all too real- Dragon Falls takes you inside
today’s AI enabled cyber battlefield.
– Scott McNealy, Co-founder, Sun Microsystems

Bob Gourley’s Dragon Falls: Standing Up To Beijing’s Shadow War is a sobering and realistic portrayal of evolving contemporary military and information conflict which can move from the invisible recesses to real life in an instant. It is beautifully written, and is a fast paced, easy and technically educational read. It reflects a smart and articulate plot line and character development. The geo-political and cyber strife in Dragon Falls might be happening today, and the details of the story reflect a book ahead of its time, where we as a Nation are struggling to be ready. One of the best reads I have had in recent times, so well written. 
– Bill Studeman, Admiral U.S. Navy (Ret)

Dragon Falls crackles with authenticity. The tradecraft and cyber-ops depicted here are true to life, and terrifyingly real. This is the techno-thriller the cyber age deserves.
– Bob Flores, Former CTO, Central Intelligence Agency

I was enchanted, thrilled, amused and frightened in equal parts by this superb debut espionage thriller by Bob Gourley, who combines his experience as the former Chief Technology Officer of DIA with his keen perception of human nature and the fine nuances of human intelligence. Among other things, I loved the concept of Agentic Artificial Intelligence, where the AI agents seemed almost human and self aware and actually debating among themselves the best route to success for complex problems. Add in a vicious inter service rivalry between two distinct wings of the Chinese intelligence establishment trying to subvert a friendly Asian nation with violence, plus an unforgettable drone war, and you have a spy novel that is predictive of our near future as forecast by a top notch intelligence officer with an outstanding technical background.
– James Lawler, retired CIA officer and author of Living Lies, In the Twinkling of an Eye, and The Traitor’s Tale.

With ‘Dragon Falls,’  Bob’s pioneering work in cyber defense and his frontline intelligence experience infuse every page of this pulse-pounding techno-thriller, creating a story that captures the intersection of AI, cyber warfare, and geopolitical tension with an authenticity only someone of his background could achieve.
– David Bray

Bob Gourley is a highly experienced National Security practitioner, Naval Intelligence professional and acknowledged expert in the areas of Information Security and Cyber threats.  In Dragon Falls he weaves a tale founded in true expertise over-laid with believable personalities, events and outcomes drawn from decades of astute observation.  The result is a good story that is fact-based, believable and worth the read.
– Lowell (Jake) Jacoby, VADM, USN, (Ret)

Dragon Falls grips you from page one and never lets go. Bob Gourley delivers a cyber-thriller pulsing with realism, insight, and heart. With his deep intelligence background and razor-sharp storytelling, Gourley brings to life a future that feels terrifyingly near. Dragon Falls isn’t just a great read- it’s a wake-up call.
– Will Hurd