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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 best seller 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 best-selling 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 audiobook on DARPA - a compelling narrative about this clandestine intersection of science and the American military and the often frightening results.

©2015 Annie Jacobsen (P)2015 Hachette Audio Americas Weapons & Warfare Military War Biological Weapons

Editorial reviews

"Annie Jacobsen...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)

Critic Reviews

"A fascinating and unsettling portrait of the secretive US 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." ( Publishers Weekly starred review)
"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." ( Kirkus Reviews)

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Profile Image for C. McDonald

Amazing research as always, but a bit slow

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.

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great book and narrator

great book & listen. Annie jacobsen always provides an amazing recount, that draws the listener

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Profile Image for Daryl

Brilliant, concerning, and terrifying at once

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.

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Profile Image for Anonymous User

Scary Stuff.

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.

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Profile Image for Vincent

Brilliant insight into DARPA

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

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Fascinating Book

Very interesting, but also disturbing to consider what advanced technology the military industrial complex is developing and will unveil in the future.

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Interesting read

I enjoyed the story but had to speed up for the narrator was too slow for me.

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