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America's Secret War
- Inside the Struggle Between the United States and Its Enemies
- Narrated by: Brian Emerson
- Length: 13 hrs and 48 mins
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Publisher's summary
Stratfor, one of the world's most respected private global intelligence firms, has an unmatched ability to provide clear perspective on the current geopolitical map. In America's Secret War, George Friedman identifies the United States' most dangerous enemies, delves into presidential strategies of the last quarter century, and reveals the real reasons behind the attack of September 11, and the Bush administration's motivation for the war in Iraq. It describes in eye-opening detail America's covert and overt efforts in the global war against terrorism: Not only are U.S. armies in combat on every continent but also, since September 11, the intelligence services of dozens of nations have been operating in close partnership with the CIA.
America's Secret War is an unprecedented look at the new world war being waged behind the scenes today. It is sure to stir debate and capture headlines around the world.
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Following September 11, the United States successfully overthrew the Taliban regime. It established security throughout the country, and Afghanistan finally began to emerge from more than two decades of conflict. But Jones argues that, as early as 2001, planning for the Iraq War siphoned off resources and talented personnel, undermining the gains that had been made. After eight years, the United States had pushed al-Qaeda’s headquarters about one hundred miles across the border into Pakistan.
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Interesting Book but- Worst Narrator Ever
- By Mark C on 01-08-11
By: Seth G. Jones
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Your Government Failed You
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- By: Richard A. Clarke
- Narrated by: Richard A. Clarke
- Length: 10 hrs and 25 mins
- Abridged
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In Your Government Failed You, Clarke looks at why failures have continued and how America and the world can succeed against the terrorists. But Clarke goes beyond terrorism to examine the recurring U.S. government disasters. Despite the lessons of Vietnam, we've gotten involved in Iraq. Drawing on his 30 years in the White House, Pentagon, State Department, and Intelligence Community, Clarke discovers patterns in the failure and suggests ways to stop the cycle.
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Stellar Criticism
- By Tim on 04-01-09
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Washington Rules
- America's Path to Permanent War
- By: Andrew Bacevich
- Narrated by: Sean Runnette
- Length: 8 hrs and 8 mins
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For the last half century, as administrations have come and gone, the fundamental assumptions about America's military policy have remained unchanged: American security requires the United States (and us alone) to maintain a permanent armed presence around the globe, to prepare our forces for military operations in far-flung regions, and to be ready to intervene anywhere at any time. In the Obama era, just as in the Bush years, these beliefs remain unquestioned gospel.
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Permanent war and insolvency...thanks Washington
- By Jonnie on 10-13-10
By: Andrew Bacevich
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Kissinger's Shadow
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- By: Greg Grandin
- Narrated by: Brian O'Neill
- Length: 7 hrs and 29 mins
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A new account of America's most controversial diplomat that moves beyond praise or condemnation to reveal Kissinger as the architect of America's current imperial stance. In his fascinating new book, acclaimed historian Greg Grandin argues that to understand the crisis of contemporary America - its never-ending wars abroad and political polarization at home - we have to understand Henry Kissinger.
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A Rehash of Rehashes...nothing new
- By A. M. on 10-06-19
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The Cold War
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- By: John Lewis Gaddis
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- Length: 9 hrs and 51 mins
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Drawing on new and often startling information from newly opened Soviet, Eastern European, and Chinese archives, this thrilling account explores the strategic dynamics that drove the Cold War, provides illuminating portraits of its major personalities, and offers much fresh insight into its most crucial events. Riveting, revelatory, and wise, it tells a story whose lessons it is vitally necessary to understand as America once more faces an implacable ideological enemy.
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WOW
- By Cordell eddings on 10-13-07
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- Narrated by: Larry Wayne
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Ever since researchers and commentators began questioning the conclusions of the Warren Report on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the response has been: Why would the US national-security establishment - that is, the military and the CIA - kill Kennedy? As Douglas P. Horne details in this audiobook, JFK's War with the National Security Establishment: Why Kennedy Was Assassinated, the answer is because Kennedy's ideas about foreign policy collided with those of the US national-security establishment during the height of the Cold War.
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FINALLY THE TRUTH!
- By Helen Williamson on 05-28-16
By: Douglas Horne
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House of War
- The Pentagon and the Disastrous Rise of American Power
- By: James Carroll
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 26 hrs and 28 mins
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This landmark, myth-shattering work chronicles the most powerful institution in America, the people who created it, and the pathologies it has spawned. Carroll proves a controversial thesis: The Pentagon has, since its founding, operated beyond the control of any force in government or society. It is the biggest, loosest cannon in American history, and no institution has changed this country more.
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A Biased Account
- By GoTravel1385a on 09-06-07
By: James Carroll
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Counterinsurgency
- By: David J. Kilcullen
- Narrated by: Peter Ganim
- Length: 10 hrs and 13 mins
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Kilcullen brings together his most salient writings on this vitally important topic. Here is a picture of modern warfare by someone who has had his boots on the ground in some of today's worst trouble spots - including Iraq and Afghanistan - and who has been studying counterinsurgency since 1985. Filled with down-to-earth, common-sense insights, this book is the definitive account of counterinsurgency, indispensable for all those interested in making sense of our world in an age of terror.
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CounterInsurgency Insights
- By JenFox on 12-21-21
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The Endgame
- The Inside Story of the Struggle for Iraq, from George W. Bush to Barack Obama
- By: Michael R. Gordon, Bernard E. Trainor
- Narrated by: Rob Shapiro
- Length: 32 hrs and 3 mins
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The Endgame is Michael R. Gordon and General Bernard E. Trainor's most ambitious and news-breaking book to date. A peerless work of investigative journalism and historical recreation ranging from 2003 to 2012, it gives us the first comprehensive, inside account of arguably the most widely reported yet least understood war in American history - from the occupation of Iraq to the withdrawal of American troops.
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Interesting Perspective, but One-Sided
- By Benjamin on 02-09-14
By: Michael R. Gordon, and others
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What listeners say about America's Secret War
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
- Kevin Christy
- 06-23-05
Great content, real narration problems
This book offers many rational, dispassionate insights into the war on terror. Friedman does not go easy on the U.S.'s missteps and dissemblings, but neither does he obsess on them like the disloyal left is wont to do. Instead, he provides a balanced expose on the behind-the-scenes machinations and how the gears of decision-making turn in Washington, the capitals of Europe, and the caves of Afghanistan.
Now, the narration... truly distracting, especially since the narrator pronounced the end of every third or fourth sentence with a comma instead of a period. Amateurish.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall
- David
- 02-01-05
This is the most important book you read all year!
Reports come in on a daily basis of dead and wounded in Iraq. Protests come from all sides demanding that we get out and bring our boys home. Critics argue that we are just over there for the oil. So how did we end up fighting a war in Iraq? George Friedman takes us inside the Intelligence community and back to the beginnings of al-Qa'ida. To understand today's issues in the Middle East Friedman helps us to understand the history of Muslim fighters in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Chechnya, Tajikistan, Somalia, Yemen, and Kosovo. He helps us to navigate the lies that are so critical in times of war. He drives home that it is a war that is being fought right here on our U.S. soil. This is a struggle that will affect all of us here in America for many years to come. This is information that every American needs to know and understand.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Teadrinker
- 12-11-11
Riveting and Complex
I didn't know most of the things in this book. It's very complex – it’s an antidote to the superficiality of Farid Zakaria’s "Post-American World."
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Overall
- axel
- 04-24-05
Fantastic !
An absolutely fantastic book for all those who like to know more about the mysteries leading to 9/11 and why it could not have been prevented.
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Overall
- Aaron
- 04-28-05
Very thought provoking
What a wonderful book!! It does not take sides on the war, just lays out the facts for the reader to absorb. I will have to watch the news even closer now to try and see the backdoor plays that effect the global political scene.
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Overall
- Nancy
- 01-22-05
America's Secret War
The pieces don't fit. The information and point of view presented by Mr. Friedman appear to be a revisionist's view of the Iraq and Afganistan Wars. He has interesting theories but be sure to read other authors to get a well rounded picture. Much information was left out of his story to make his pieces fit. He appeared to have information not available to U.S. Intelligence (knowing what Al Sistani was thinking and planning)yet closed his chapter on Tora Bora saying we don't know what happened. While it is an interesting perspective and easy listening, don't be taken in until you have read other accounts. It is careful not to make the administration (except Donald Rumsfeld) look bad. It is the rosiest picture of the war I have read yet. It would be interesting to see how he spins the last 6 months of the Iraq war.
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5 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Bob
- 05-01-05
An Educated Analysis, not for Politicos
Any analysis of a hidden and complex relationship such as that between Al Quaeda and the U.S. is going to have some flaws, and no analysis is going to please everyone. What I find so praiseworthy of the Stratfor analysis is that it strives to be as astute and unbiased as possible. I am sure there are biases, but there certainly is no obvious political intention to those biases.
So, this will disappoint both diehard liberals and conservatives, who will come away unsatisfied: liberals thinking that it defends Bush's actions, conservatives thinking that it demonizes him. It does neither. Instead, it provides much food for thought in the midst of a dangerous situation in a complex world. At the least, it demonstrates that the special interests and flag-waving that characterize the political parties are just superficial issues that have little direct effect upon international politics and terrorism. Instead, the parties utilize their ability to influence votes to gain the White House (and Congress) so that they can employ their own nuance of diplomacy and strongarming.
This book has changed my entire view of Iraq. Perhaps the war was not the only way to deal with the terrorist situation, but the alternative choices were pretty lousy as well.
Unfortunately, this book does not empower the reader (listener) by providing new insight, it only helps to better understand. And it does make one realize how impotent an individual American is.
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Overall
- P. PAI
- 01-21-05
Interesting book, but kind of boring narrating
This book is loaded with very good analysis of the Terrorist activities. The narrator is kind of monotonous, but the contents keep you hooked.
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- Chaohui
- 08-31-12
Superficially clever but fundamentally flippant
What did you like best about America's Secret War? What did you like least?
1. The best point of this book is it brings together some off-beaten-path view of the US actions since 9/11
2. The worst point is its examination of these views is fundamentally flippant, and repetitive. The author loves his own shallow insight so much that he repeats them tiresomely as if simply repetition gives it weight it does not carry through its actual substance.
Has America's Secret War turned you off from other books in this genre?
No. It covers a interesting topic, and its poseur treatment makes me want to read a real book.
What does Brian Emerson bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
Not much, except for the ability to go through it during driving commute
Could you see America's Secret War being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?
No
Any additional comments?
No
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Overall
- Rober
- 06-16-05
America's Secret War
Not bad if you want someone else to think for you. The position of the author is that we are really good but our government intellegence is designed very poorly but we are still winning. This is another attempt to support everything that our government has said and done, even at the cost of the truth. Having said that, it is probably one of the better attempts at explaining the unexplainable, but at the end it is still one more book saying everything we have done is for the benifit of the world and we should be proud. Oh, and by the way don't ask too many questions.
You might want to save your credit for something a bit better.
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7 people found this helpful