The Pentagon's Brain Audiobook By Annie Jacobsen cover art

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 Biological & Chemical Warfare Weapons Military War Thought-Provoking Biological Weapons
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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)

What listeners say about The Pentagon's Brain

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Good historical view of DARPA!!

I enjoyed listening to this book, it provided a great insight into the operations of one of the most important agencies in our modern government and in the fight against terrorism. I enjoyed it and learned a few things. AUDIBLE 20 REVIEW SWEEPSTAKES ENTRY.

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the Pentagon truly is a spooky place.

the narration was very good. I can't even imagine the amount of research that went into this book. people would be absolutely amazed what goes on in the Pentagon and on some of these black budget missions.

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One of the greatest U.S.History books ever written

If you could sum up The Pentagon's Brain in three words, what would they be?

Expansive
Eye-Opening
Petrifying

Who was your favorite character and why?

Von Neuman - His brain

What about Annie Jacobsen’s performance did you like?

She delivers on all fronts

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Absolutely positively yes

Any additional comments?

Reading a second time already.

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Great book, a little bit scary

A very interesting look at what our government has been up to over the years.

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Intriguing

The stories we hear under whispers and in the showdows of what Darpa and other facilities the government contracts with are all doing real research for the betterment of society. So we're told, but we're not told much at all. Is that better for our own security to have this going on ? Annie does a hell of a job digging into what our future may hold. A great listen , worth the time and I am grateful for her efforts to write about and discover the truth about where our defense money is going.

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Great history ride

A great history ride through DARPAs influence of our country. I was very engaged the whole time. Thinking about how DARPA created things and how it has translated to Main Street was fun to do.

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Incredible Verified True Story of DARPA

If you seek answers regarding government agencies, their establishment, history, and declassified activities along with personal interviews, there are a number of authors that must be read in order to put together the full story. Annie Jacobsen’s tireless works are part of this catalogue of factual nonfiction. Through this book, the revelations on how DARPA began and who was involved in its inception will assist readers in understanding what is going on in both America and the Global World of current times. It's a long listen...and I recommend reading it with a pen or making multiple bookmarks with annotations. Never fold the pages of a book...any decent book collector knows this is a terrible mistake.

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makes you think what's behind closed doors

good book only complaint is that a better reader performed in this book other than the author of the book

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Very interesting read!!

Narrator was awesome such an eye opening book!!! I had no clue to the extent that the United States government was so heavily invested into technology and surveillance.

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A Scary History

very informative
struggled with the narrator's voice a little.
a lot of good information given.

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