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House of War: The Pentagon and the Disastrous Rise of American Power

Written by:
James Carroll
Narrated by:
Robertson Dean

Unabridged Audiobook

Ratings
Book
11
Narrator
1
Release Date
May 30, 2006
Duration
26 hours 30 minutes
Summary
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.
Reviews
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Brian W.

I love the image of a ten year old boy sliding in his socks along the long corridors of the Pentagon. But none of us can remain a child forever. Any moral person eschews war. But standing by and doing nothing while others murder innocents is just as immoral. Roosevelt insisted on unconditional surrender because he saw what happened after the Great War and realized that the only way to expunge German and Japanese militarism was to bring the horror of war to their own doorsteps. This was accomplished primarily by the Allied bombing campaign. All and all, it would be a better book if the author provided a more balanced perspective.

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