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House of War

The Pentagon and the Disastrous Rise of American Power

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House of War

By: James Carroll
Narrated by: Robertson Dean
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About this listen

 In House of War, the bestselling author James Carroll has created a history of the Pentagon that is both epic and personal. Through Carroll we see how the Pentagon, since its founding, has operated beyond the control of any force in government or society, undermining the very national security it is sworn to protect.From its "birth" on September 11, 1941, through the nuclear buildup of the Cold War and the eventual "shock and awe" of Iraq, Carroll recounts how "the Building" and its officials have achieved what President Eisenhower called "a disastrous rise of misplaced power."

This is not faded history. House of War offers a compelling account of the virtues and follies that led America to permanently, and tragically, define itself around war. Carroll shows how the consequences of the American response to September 11, 2001 -– including two wars and an ignited Middle East -– form one end of an arc that stretches from Donald Rumsfeld back to James Forrestal, the first man to occupy the office of secretary of defense in the Pentagon. House of War confronts this dark past so we may understand the current war and forestall the next.©2006 James Carroll; (P)2006 Books on Tape Americas Military Science Politics & Government United States World Military Dwight Eisenhower War Soviet Union Middle East Russia American History American Foreign Policy Iran Socialism Imperial Japan Vietnam War Self-Determination Imperialism Nuclear War Warfare Capitalism Air Force Cold War
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Detailed and passionate story??? I do not know. History of American military complex seen trough prism of catholic/Christian and Hippy philosophy (with lot of personal guilt) could be still quite informative. Unfortunately misleading interpretations of some facts and processes, omitting some facts and processes to nicely wrap up the whole story, make me doubt the factual basis for the book. What we are left with is: ?bad, bad America and god, kind-hearted USSR/Russia?. What a crap!!!!

Fact twisting

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This book begins with a son's view of a father, a General seconded from the FBI, responsible for keeping the peace in a fascinating internecine conflict between airforce and navy to control the bomb. Carroll discusses the history and implication of mechanised mass destruction. He talks to those who saw it emerge, those present at its beginning, and they are candid about its psychological impact. We are introduced to its inheritors, we are warned. Carroll's authority compels us to grasp its meaning. This sits beside Catch 22 as treasured companion. It's a warm and resonant reading by Robertson Dean. I've listened to it three times already and I anticipate listening again.

An authentic voice, a treasured companion

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