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Accessory to War: The Unspoken Alliance Between Astrophysics and the Military Audiobook
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Publisher Description
New York Times Bestseller An exploration of the age-old complicity between skywatchers and warfighters, from the best-selling author of Astrophysics for People in a Hurry.
In this fascinating foray into the centuries-old relationship between science and military power, acclaimed astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson and writer-researcher Avis Lang examine how the methods and tools of astrophysics have been enlisted in the service of war. "The overlap is strong, and the knowledge flows in both directions," say the authors, because astrophysicists and military planners care about many of the same things: multi-spectral detection, ranging, tracking, imaging, high ground, nuclear fusion, and access to space. Tyson and Lang call it a "curiously complicit" alliance. "The universe is both the ultimate frontier and the highest of high grounds," they write. "Shared by both space scientists and space warriors, it’s a laboratory for one and a battlefield for the other. The explorer wants to understand it; the soldier wants to dominate it. But without the right technology—which is more or less the same technology for both parties—nobody can get to it, operate in it, scrutinize it, dominate it, or use it to their advantage and someone else’s disadvantage."
Spanning early celestial navigation to satellite-enabled warfare, Accessory to War is a richly researched and provocative examination of the intersection of science, technology, industry, and power that will introduce Tyson’s millions of fans to yet another dimension of how the universe has shaped our lives and our world.
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“DeGrasse Tyson reads the introduction, and he does a terrific job. He has a silky, deep voice, and he paces himself well. He could credibly read the entire work himself, but instead he hands off the audiobook to Courtney B. Vance, whose voice is just as deep but more formal, even regal. Vance does a magnificent job continuing the story with a tone that supports Tyson and Lang’s words. The result is an audiobook that speaks to all of us, even those who know little about astrophysics.”
— AudioFile
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“This enlightening book explores the history and current implications of this partnership between space science and national security.”
— Walter Isaacson, #1 New York Times bestselling author -
“A wonderful book and a fascinating read, full of amazing stories, all backed up with deep scholarship.”
— John Mather, winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics -
“A sweeping panoramic overview of the enduring alliance between astrophysics and the military―from the Greeks to Galileo to GPS.”
— Science -
“The authors deliver a history that is broader than its subtitle suggests; though Tyson is a space scientist, the military-industrial complex leverages workers in every scientific discipline, from agronomy to zoology…An intriguing history. Look for mines and ray guns on the final frontier, for, as the authors conclude, ‘what a country funds is what that country prioritizes.’”
— Kirkus Reviews
Awards
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New York Times bestseller
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A New York Times audio bestseller
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A Publishers Weekly Pick of Best Audiobooks
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A New York Times Book Review Editor’s Choice
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Nominated for the 2018 Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album
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About the Authors
Neil deGrasse Tyson is an American astrophysicist, author, and science communicator. In 2017 he became the first American to win the prestigious Stephen Hawking Medal for science communication. He is the Frederick P. Rose Director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History and a research associate in its Department of Astrophysics. From 2006 to 2011 he hosted the educational science television show NOVA ScienceNow on PBS, and in 2014 and 2020 he hosted the television series Cosmos, updates of Carl Sagan’s landmark series. Tyson has written multiple New York Times bestselling books.
Avis Lang is formerly a lecturer in art history and an independent curator in Vancouver, Canada-edited Tyson’s Natural History magazine column, Universe, from 2002 until its cessation in 2008, as well as his anthology Space Chronicles: Facing the Ultimate Frontier. She lives in New York City.
About Neil deGrasse Tyson
Courtney B. Vance is an award-winning actor on stage, on film and in television. His credits include historically noteworthy films such as Hamburger Hill, The Hunt for Red October, The Preacher’s Wife, and The Adventures of Huck Finn. Courtney’s portrayal of Johnnie Cochran in FX’s The People vs. OJ Simpson: American Crime Story, of “Uncle George” in HBO’s Lovecraft Country, and of Rev. C.L. Franklin in NatGeo’s Genius: Aretha have earned him two EMMYs, a Critics Choice Award, a Black Reel TV Award, and multiple NAACP Image Awards, as well as SAG, Golden Globe, and Hollywood Critics Association nominations. He won a Tony Award for his performance in Broadway’s Lucky Guy. He is co-founder of Bassett Vance Productions with his wife, Angela Bassett, and is currently President of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation.
Dr. Robin L. Smith is the #1 bestselling author of Lies at the Altar: The Truth About Great Marriages, as well as Hungry: The Truth About Being Full, a sought-after speaker, experienced media personality, ordained minister, and host of SiriusXM’s The Dr. Robin Show, who addresses today’s most pressing societal challenges through fearless truth-telling. As a licensed psychologist and mental health champion known for her signature four-step prescription Wake Up! Show Up! Grow Up! Rise Up!™, she brings a uniquely healing perspective to our nation’s most daunting social justice and mental health issues: from systemic racism and racial violence, to grief and loss, to discrimination based on gender and sexual orientation, to recovering and rebounding as a nation following crises. She holds a PhD in counseling psychology from Temple University and a master’s degree from Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary.