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House of War (Abridged): The Pentagon and the Disastrous Rise of American Power Audiobook
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(4.02) - 156 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
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.
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"I learned a great deal from this book about church history. As a woman in the Catholic Church I have frustrated for decades over the rigidity of Rome and the lack of backbone in the current men who serve in the priesthood. I recommend this book to all Catholics who feel my frustration. "
— Mary (4 out of 5 stars)
House of War Listener Reviews
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" Ignore the cover, which makes the book look like one of those trashy conspiracy books, and don't let the biblical length intimidate... this is an excellent, informative read, part-memoir and part-history, all woven together very neatly. Also, Carroll is a South Sider. "
— Pete, 1/4/2014 -
" extremely provocative - interesting mixture of his personal history (his father was an Air Force General who spent part of his career at the Pentagon) and the history of the Pentagon itself. "
— Mark, 6/21/2013 -
" about the cold war. written kinda like a novel, so it stays interesting. lots of info. "
— Angela, 4/3/2013 -
" House of War is a somewhat lengthy narrative of how the military operates in the post-WWII era. Many interesting facts, I'm sure, for military buffs, but it never really captured my interest. "
— Ray, 8/18/2012 -
" Excellent! audio book is abridged, though it's still 8 discs long. Excellent writing, poetic at times, themes consist of overextending power, total war, etc. Can't say enough good about this book. "
— Jose, 2/3/2012 -
" great book about the pentagon and its inner culture of thought, or maybe thought isn't exactly the right word, but great book anyway "
— Jon, 7/19/2011 -
" Incredible history of US foreign policy, dating from the creation of the Pentagon and the pursuit of unconditional surrender during WWII, and finishing shortly after 9/11. Carroll is a dyed in the wool leftist, but is a fantastic writer. "
— Tim, 3/9/2011 -
" Part history, party autobiography, part political statement. A thoughtful critique of US national security policy in the atomic age, from Hiroshima to the present. Incredibly well-researched (the endnotes are required reading as much as the book itself), and extremely well-written. "
— Ben, 1/28/2011 -
" it took a while--lots of ideas, history and vocabulary to consider--but it was worth it. my copy is dog-ear'd and I'll read it again. Would be good for a discussion group for theology students. "
— JeanneBee, 1/3/2011 -
" Wow - a book that does address alot of my concerns. We need a present day Cardinal Cushing!! to help change things from the inside out. "
— Trish, 12/14/2010 -
" Evolution of the American Catholic Church alongside that of the author. "
— Paula, 11/27/2010 -
" a very good "recent" history of the church and those that love it, while not loving the "CHURCH" "
— Chuck, 11/8/2010 -
" Sort of skimmed it because it was a fairly repetitive and emotive rehash of stuff I already knew. I don't want to make it sound too bad though, I think it has a lot of good insights on the recent history of the Roman Catholic Church sprinkled throughout. "
— Mack, 6/27/2010 -
" If I was a Catholic, this book would trouble me a lot. Even as a Protestant, I am not sure what to make of a brilliant and passionate ex=priest who denounces pope-centered Catholicism better than any Protestant could do, claiming to be a true American Catholic yet denying the deity of Christ. "
— Paul, 4/16/2010 -
" I think this is an important book for any Catholic to read. I found it to be very affirming and renewed my commitment to the faith, and to the Church. "
— Hedlun, 11/23/2009 -
" A must read for those of us who struggle to remain. Insightful and moving. His truth telling is staggering. "
— Margaretflynn, 10/28/2009 -
" The book is exceptionally fine. I copied out his line: I loved my writing desk more than my chapel. <br/> <br/> <br/> "
— Carol, 6/9/2009 -
" This book is having a strange effect on me. It almost makes me want to go to Church. I've come to terms with the fact that I have a really love/hate affair with the Catholic Church. "
— Jackie, 5/19/2009 -
" ummmm!!! not sure - beneath all the words is a traditionalist. "
— Timothy, 5/8/2009
About James Carroll
James Carroll is the author of twelve novels, most recently The Cloister, and nine works of nonfiction. For twenty-three years he published a weekly op-ed column in the Boston Globe. Other books include the National Book Award–winning An American Requiem; the New York Times bestselling Constantine’s Sword, winner of the National Jewish Book Award; House of War, winner of the PEN/Galbraith Award; and Jerusalem, Jerusalem. Carroll is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences and an associate of the Mahindras Humanities Center at Harvard University. He lives in Boston with his wife, the writer Alexandra Marshall. Visit him at www.JamesCarroll.net.