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Audiobooks > Technology & Engineering >  Military Science > Wired for War: The Robotics Revolution and Conflict in the 21st Century

Download Wired for War: The Robotics Revolution and Conflict in the 21st Century Audiobook

Extended Audio Sample Wired for War: The Robotics Revolution and Conflict in the 21st Century Audiobook, by P. W. Singer Click for printable size audiobook cover
3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5 3.00 (654 ratings) (rate this audio book) Author: P. W. Singer Narrator: William Hughes Publisher: Blackstone Audio Format: Unabridged Audiobook Delivery: Instant Download Audio Length: Release Date: October 2010 ISBN: 9781455199587
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A military expert reveals how science fiction is fast becoming reality on the battlefield, changing not just how wars are fought, but also the politics, economics, laws, and ethics that surround war itself.

Singer’s previous books foretold the rise of private military contractors and the advent of child soldiers—predictions that have proved all too accurate. Now he explores the greatest revolution in military affairs since the atom bomb: robotic warfare.

We are now seeing a massive shift in military technology that threatens to make the stuff of I, Robot and The Terminator a reality. Over seven thousand robotic systems are now in Iraq; pilots in Nevada are remotely killing terrorists in Afghanistan; scientists are debating just how smart—and lethal—to make their current prototypes; and many renowned science fiction authors are secretly consulting for the Pentagon.

Blending historic evidence with interviews from the field, Singer vividly shows that as these technologies multiply, they will have profound effects on both the front lines and the politics back home. Replacing men with machines may save some lives but will lower morale and psychological barriers to killing. The “warrior ethos,” which has long defined soldiers’ identity, will erode, as will the laws of war that have governed military conflict for generations.

Paradoxically, the new technology will also bring war to our doorstep. As other nations and terrorist organizations obtain their own robotic weapons, the robot revolution could undermine America’s military preeminence. While his analysis is unnerving, there’s an irresistible gee-whiz quality to the innovations Singer uncovers. Wired for War travels from Iraq and Afghanistan, where these machines are now fighting, to modern-day “skunk works” in the midst of suburbia, where tomorrow’s technologies of war are quietly being designed. In Singer’s hands, the future of war is as fascinating as it is frightening.

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Quotes & Awards

  • “Blew my f***ing mind…This book is awesome.”

    Jon Stewart, The Daily Show

  • “P. W. Singer has written what is likely to be the definitive work on this subject for some time to come. He has a record of drawing out the underlying trends in modern warfare, with previous books on child soldiers and the increasing use of mercenaries. Wired for War will confirm his reputation: it is riveting and comprehensive, encompassing every aspect of the rise of military robotics, from the historical to the ethical.”

    Financial Times

  • “In his latest work, Wired for War, Singer confesses his passion for science fiction as he introduces us to a glimpse of things to come–the new technologies that will shape wars of the future. His new book addresses some ominous and little-discussed questions about the military, technology, and machinery.”

    Harper’s

  • “Robotics promises to be the most comprehensive instrument of change in war since the introduction of gunpowder.”

    Publishers Weekly

  • “If you want the whole story of remote warfare, pick up a copy of Wired for War, in which Peter Singer, a fellow of the non-profit Brookings Institution in Washington, DC, exhaustively documents the Pentagon’s penchant for robotics. Think of it as the next step in the mechanisation of war: swords and arrows, guns, artillery, rockets, bombers, robots.”

    New Scientist

  • “P. W. Singer has fashioned a definitive text on the future of war around the subject of robots. In no previous book have I gotten such an intrinsic sense of what the military future will be like.”

    Robert D. Kaplan, author of Imperial Grunts

  • “Drawing from sources spanning popular culture and hard science, Singer reveals how the relationship between man and robot is changing the very nature of war…I found this book fascinating, deep, entertaining, and frightening.”

    Howard Gordon, writer and executive producer of 24, The X-Files, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer

  • “Singer’s book is as important (very) as it is readable (highly), as much a fascinating account of new technology as it is a challenging appraisal of the strategic, political, and ethical questions that we must now face. This book needs to be widely read—not just within the defense community but by anyone interested in the most fundamental questions of how our society and others will look at war itself.”

    Anthony Lake, former US National Security Advisor and Professor of Diplomacy, School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University

  • “Lively, penetrating, and wise…A warmly human (even humorous) account of robotics and other military technologies that focuses where it should: on us.”

    Richard Danzig, former Secretary of the Navy and Director, National Semiconductor Corporation

  • “William Hughes’ slightly hoarse voice is unremarkable but likable, and he uses it well, matching his inflections to the sense of the text and keeping to a quick, but not too quick, pace. Without overdoing it, he brings to the book a sense of excitement and wonder appropriate to the subject matter. “

    AudioFile

  • “A vivid picture of the current controversies and dazzling possibilities of war in the digital age.”

    Kirkus Reviews
  • New York Times Bestseller

Listener Opinions

  • 2 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 5 Peggy Lo | 2/14/2014

    " I started reading the book very closely and then ended up mostly skimming it, just because the scenario was getting frightening, a little too close to the cylons for comfort "

  • 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5 Scott Martin | 2/12/2014

    " The first book I completed via Kindle. The content is incredible, and the sections on UAV ops really hits home, for I lived a form of that a couple of years ago, and those concepts will be a part of our military in the years and decades ahead. "

  • 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Dennis Daniels | 2/11/2014

    " It is important to understand how technology is changing (and has always changed) war. Warcraft has changed immensely in the last decade... it's a good time to review what we know of our ability as a species to kill each other remotely... "

  • 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5 Michael | 2/11/2014

    " I read it a few years ago, it was a nice book and I really loved it. All the things about the robots was amazing, though I trashed the book... D: though I really loved how he explained about how they used the robots in war like the anti-ied robots near the beginning and the automated bombers and such. I'd recommend this book if your into robots and war. "

  • 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Jason | 1/8/2014

    " Amazing how a little robot vacuum started the robotics revolution. "

  • 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Tom | 1/8/2014

    " The tech singularity is coming. For the first half I was scared that robots would take over and everything I had done up to that point will be meaningless. Now I feel like the robot uprising is still far enough away that I don't need to be that worried. "

  • 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Eric Rivero | 1/3/2014

    " Opened my eyes to the moral aspects of unmanned/robot warfare. The idea that killing becomes easier when it is at the hand of a directed robot, and not a human hand. "

  • 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5 Sergio | 12/12/2013

    " Interesting book, however I lost it on vacation having only read about a third. From what I read I couldn't summon the desire to purchase another copy. "

  • 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Haley | 12/7/2013

    " good but an exhausting read. and probably already out of date by virtue of being more than two minutes old. recommended reading for anyone who doesn't want to be surprised that robots are the future. and, to some extent, the present. "

  • 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Rick Segrest | 11/3/2013

    " Fascinating and scary look at cutting-edge technology and a look at things to come. Goes into some of the ethical questions posed with fighting wars by remote control and removing the humanity. Somewhat politically biased, but still very thought-provoking. "

  • 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5 Tyler Standish | 12/24/2011

    " A great book that I used heavily for my thesis. P.W. Singer's insights into a possible future of warfare are both promising and frightening. A great book! "

  • 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5 Stephanie | 11/26/2011

    " I find this fascinating. War is changing and we better update our laws to reflect it. "

  • 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Steven Sidman | 8/20/2011

    " Probably a logical book-end to the 1968 "Unless Peace Comes". Well worth reading. "

  • 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5 Holly | 7/18/2011

    " Very interesting and at times eye-opening look into current developments in robotics. It will be interesting to see how, in the future, military and civilian applications become more and more integrated. "

  • 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Daniel | 3/15/2011

    " Not just "gee-whiz" stuff, very thought provoking. Are we entering a period of major shifting in war-fighting methods more evolutionary than the industrialization of war-fighting begun in WWI? "

  • 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Dennis | 2/21/2011

    " Excelent primer on thge use of robots in warfare and future trends. Would love to read whole books based on the chapters on scientists who refused to take war-related grants and Luddities and Losers. "

  • 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5 Terri | 1/26/2011

    " Killing from a distance, as we are in Pakistan, must challenge our moral belief, regardless of religious affiliation. We are not even at war with Pakistan, and yet we kill innocent civilians with our deadly toys. Killing has become a game for America, and one we are very good at. "

  • 2 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 5 Sharayn Duchess of Tallahassee: Yourlocalho. | 1/23/2011

    " f-n awesome. - was my first take. the further I get along...it is now f-n pissing me off. "

  • 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5 Tyler | 1/11/2011

    " A great book that I used heavily for my thesis. P.W. Singer's insights into a possible future of warfare are both promising and frightening. A great book! "

  • 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 George | 12/24/2010

    " Good survey of robotics in warfare... Good balance of theory and what's actually going on today. But, I think the thesis about robots in irregular warfare misses the mark. "

  • 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5 David | 12/8/2010

    " I read this book as research for the novel I'm working on. It was interesting for sure. I skipped around a bit so a detailed review would not be fair. Did learn alot.

    -David "

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About the Author

P. W. Singer, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, has worked in the Pentagon and consulted for the departments of Defense and State, the CIA, and Congress. The author of several books, he has also written for such publications as the New York Times and Foreign Affairs.

About the Narrator

William Hughes is an AudioFile Earphones Award–winning narrator. A professor of political science at Southern Oregon University in Ashland, Oregon, he received his doctorate in American politics from the University of California, Davis. He has done voice-over work for radio and film and is also an accomplished jazz guitarist.

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