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Top Secret America: The Rise of the New American Security State Audiobook
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(3.05) - 236 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
The top-secret world that the government created in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks has become so enormous, so unwieldy, and so secretive that no one knows how much money it costs, how many people it employs or exactly how many agencies duplicate work being done elsewhere. The result is that the system put in place to keep the United States safe may be putting us in greater danger. In Top Secret America, award-winning reporters Dana Priest and William Arkin uncover the enormous size, shape, mission, and consequences of this invisible universe of over 1,300 government facilities in every state in America; nearly 2,000 outside companies used as contractors; and more than 850,000 people granted "Top Secret" security clearance.
A landmark exposé of a new, secret "Fourth Branch" of American government, Top Secret America is a tour de force of investigative reporting-and a book sure to spark national and international alarm.
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"Excellent book. I started reading a library copy and quickly switched to Kindle version so I could take notes. William M. Arkin is a master of open source data collection and analysis. Dana Priest is an excellent author and did an excellent job gaining access to a world that is male dominated. I believe they had a point to make and attempted to support this point with facts. Ironically, shortly after finishing the book I read that a Drone had been used out West by a sherriff's department to arrest cattle rustlers."
— Ed (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“One of the many strengths of Top Secret America is that Priest and Arkin take nothing for granted…Their analysis is neither naïve about the threat posed by al-Qaeda and similar groups, nor credulous about the generals, spies, and bureaucrats who have so dramatically expanded the country’s defenses in response to September 11.”
— New York Times Book Review -
“Priest and Arkinfully flesh out how the Byzantine security maze actually works, breaking down its components…The authors’ arguments are compelling.”
— Washington City Paper -
A breathtaking investigative account of America's vast new secret world...An invaluable book.
— Los Angeles Times -
Essential reading.
— Cryptome -
Mind-boggling.
— Washington Lawyer
Top Secret America Listener Reviews
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" It gets a little dry and disconnected at times, but this is a book that every American should read. It's a frank look at the world we've created since 9/11. One critique is that by the end you're left with a mountain of problems and not much in the way of proposed solutions or even empowerment, but "
— Peter, 2/12/2014 -
" (Skimmed thoroughly, rather than read carefully.) Well-researched book about the mass of multiple different intelligence agencies, what they do, and how they do it. Living in the DC area, it was especially interesting to read about the sub-culture of people who work in this industry and live in the DC region and suburbs. The size and complexity of the organizations and how much is contracted out to private companies wasn't news to me but is still disturbing and something I wish received more attention. This book is a step in starting that conversation. "
— Christina, 2/7/2014 -
" I very much enjoyed reading this book. Interesting to see how the government has added mountains of bureaucracy in its pursuit to keep us safe from terrorists and terrorism. Although much good has come from it, the effort seems redundant and costly. "
— Tom, 2/2/2014 -
" An excellent overview of America's industrial-intelligence-military complex. "
— Jeremiah, 1/28/2014 -
" Good book, but now I'm all angry and depressed. "
— Tracey, 1/21/2014 -
" A very important book. Very enlightening if you care about the direction of this country and the security industrial complex that I believe would be equal to Eisenhower's warning of the military industrial complex. "
— Cinda, 1/17/2014 -
" No comments from the peanut gallery, I actually READ this one! Like, on paper! "
— Carolyn, 12/23/2013 -
" I read 70 pages and put it down because I was bored. "
— Julie, 12/9/2013 -
" A must read. Ironic though, the very system installed to protect our liberty and democracy is the very system tearing it apart. "
— Mark, 9/23/2013 -
" A very good book, thoroughly enjoyable. I found it lacking focus and direction, at times, leaving the reader "alone" while narrating the meanders of Top Secret America. "
— Nuno, 7/12/2013 -
" A very dense read. Acronym hell. But you must read it. Otherwise the black SUVs will come after you. "
— Grayson, 3/18/2013 -
" Somewhat disquieting book but very well written. "
— Michael, 12/1/2012 -
" Well written, well researched. Just makes me SO ANGRY at all the money the country is wasting while not making us any safer!!!! "
— Nancy, 11/12/2012 -
" Read about 200 pages, somewhat uneven writing but some interesting insights into American policy. Follows from Washington Post articles. "
— Jeff, 3/5/2012 -
" Staggering revelations on nearly every page. I went in from a civil liberties angle, but the sheer opaque bulk of the surveillance state, unaccountable, unintegrated, inefficient and drowning in raw data is a formidable policy failure in its own right. "
— Horza, 12/10/2011 -
" Top Secret America, it turns out, is largely a bloated corpse. The number of people certified to handle classified information coupled with the insanely massive amount of information deemed secret is a recipe for failure, as this book demonstrates. Be scare, be very ascared. "
— D'Anne, 11/9/2011 -
" Well written, well researched. Just makes me SO ANGRY at all the money the country is wasting while not making us any safer!!!! "
— Nancy, 10/28/2011 -
" Read about 200 pages, somewhat uneven writing but some interesting insights into American policy. Follows from Washington Post articles. "
— Jeff, 10/19/2011 -
" A very dense read. Acronym hell. But you must read it. Otherwise the black SUVs will come after you. "
— Grayson, 10/1/2011
About the Authors
Dana Priest is an investigative reporter for the Washington Post. She has won numerous awards, including the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for public service for The Other Walter Reed and the 2006 Pulitzer for beat reporting for her work on CIA secret prisons and counterterrorism operations overseas. She is the author of The Mission: Waging War and Keeping Peace with America’s Military.
William Arkin is one of America’s premier military experts, having served in Army intelligence in West Berlin during the Cold War. Since then, he has written more than a dozen books, briefed hundreds of top military, intelligence and government officials, and been a part of countless exposes. Working for the Washington Post, he conceived and coauthored the landmark “Top Secret America” investigation, and co-wrote the national bestseller of the same name with colleague Dana Priest. He lives in Vermont.