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The Pentagon's Brain

An Uncensored History of DARPA, America's Top-Secret Military Research Agency

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The Pentagon's Brain

By: Annie Jacobsen
Narrated by: Annie Jacobsen
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About this listen

 Discover the definitive history of DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency, in this Pulitzer Prize finalist from the author of the New York Times bestseller Area 51.
No one has ever written the history of the Defense Department's most secret, most powerful, and most controversial military science R&D agency. In the first-ever history about the organization, New York Times bestselling author Annie Jacobsen draws on inside sources, exclusive interviews, private documents, and declassified memos to paint a picture of DARPA, or "the Pentagon's brain," from its Cold War inception in 1958 to the present.

This is the book on DARPA -- a compelling narrative about this clandestine intersection of science and the American military and the often frightening results. Americas Military Weapons & Warfare Biological Weapons

Critic Reviews

Pulitzer Prize Finalist in History

One of The Washington Post's Notable Nonfiction Books of 2015

One of The Boston Globe's Best Books of 2015

One of Amazon's Top 100 Books of 2015

"A brilliantly researched account of a small but powerful secret government agency whose military research profoundly affects world affairs."—The Pulitzer Prize Committee
"Filled with the intrigue and high stakes of a spy novel, Jacobsen's history of DARPA is as much a fascinating testament to human ingenuity as it is a paean to endless industrial warfare and the bureaucracy of the military-industrial complex."—Kirkus Reviews
"A fascinating and unsettling portrait of the secretive U.S. government agency....Jacobsen walks a fine line in telling the story of the agency and its innovations without coming across as a cheerleader or a critic, or letting the narrative devolve into a salacious tell-all. Jacobsen's ability to objectively tell the story of DARPA, not to mention its murky past, is truly remarkable, making for a terrifically well-crafted treatise on the agency most Americans know next to nothing about."
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Jacobsen offers a definitive history of the clandestine agency.... She explores the implications of DARPA work on technology that will not be widely known to the public for generations but will certainly impact national security and concepts of war."—Vanessa Bush, Booklist (starred review)
"Jacobsen's account will serve as the model for histories of military research and development and is likely to lead to more works and articles about DARPA.... Engrossing, conversation-starting read..."—Library Journal
"Annie Jacobsen's considerable talents as an investigative journalist prove indispensable in uncovering the remarkable history of one of America's most powerful and clandestine military research agencies. And she is a great storyteller, making the tantalizing tale of The Pentagon's Brain -- from the depths of the Cold War to present day -- come alive on every page."—Gerald Posner, author of God's Bankers
"A fascinating and sometimes uneasy exploration of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency...."—Dina Temple-Raston, The Washington Post
"In this fascinating and terrifying account, Annie Jacobsen regales us with the stories behind the agency's 'consequential and sometimes Orwellian' innovations, including autonomous weapons systems--killer robots that could decide, without human intervention, who lives and who dies."—Bryan Schatz, Mother Jones
"Annie Jacobsen has a gift for unearthing secret, long-buried information."—Mary Ann Gwinn, Seattle Times
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great book & listen. Annie jacobsen always provides an amazing recount, that draws the listener

great book and narrator

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Annie Jacobsen is a master at uncovering world shattering stories hidden in plain sight. She is a great narrator and I recommend this book fully.

We start with a fascination at what DARPA was able to do during the Cold War. Then we are amazed by the level of technology they had developed by The Gulf War.

Then we are frightened to death by the potential of just how far the search to create human weapons has reached.

Knowing all along that other less friendly governments are trying to achieve the same.

Brilliant, concerning, and terrifying at once

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This is the 3rd of Annie's books I've listened to - and compared to Surprise, Kill, Vanish & Area 51, this book didn't quite deliver like I'd hoped. With DARPA being the main focus of this book, I was very disappointed that HAARP didn't get a single mention.

While the book was very slow as it progressed through the Vietnam War, the last 1-2 hours of the book were amazing and made the book worthwhile.

Annie's research, as always, is incredible.

Amazing research as always, but a bit slow

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WOW!!!

Annie Jacobsen was wonderful narrating this terrifying look inside the U.S. war machine, I was kept engaged and always wanting the next chapter to start while not wanting the last to finish.

Scary Stuff.

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Frightening revelations about secretive developments. The scary part is that as humans we may eventually outsmart ourselves into extinction.

Brilliant insight into DARPA

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