The Dark Side Audiobook By Jane Mayer cover art

The Dark Side

The Inside Story of How The War on Terror Turned into a War on American Ideals

 Preview
LIMITED TIME OFFER

3 months free
Try for $0.00
Offer ends July 31, 2025 at 11:59PM PT.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 3 months. Cancel anytime.

The Dark Side

By: Jane Mayer
Narrated by: Richard McGonagle
Try for $0.00

$0.00/mo. after 3 months. Offer ends July 31, 2025 at 11:59PM PT. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $22.50

Buy for $22.50

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
Switch payment method
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use, License, and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Cancel
In the days following September 11, the most powerful people in the country were panic-stricken. The decisions about how to combat terrorists and strengthen national security were made in a state of utter chaos and fear, but the key players, Vice President Dick Cheney and his powerful, secretive adviser, David Addington, used the crisis to further a long-held agenda to enhance presidential powers to a degree never known in U.S. history.

The Dark Side is a riveting narrative account of how the U.S. made terrible decisions in the pursuit of terrorists, decisions that not only violated the Constitution, but also hampered the pursuit of Al Qaeda.

In gripping detail, acclaimed New Yorker writer and best-selling author Jane Mayer relates specific cases, shown in real time against the larger tableau of Washington, looking at the intelligence gained - or not - and the price paid. In all cases, whatever the short-term gains, there were incalculable losses in terms of moral standing, our country's place in the world, and its sense of itself.

The Dark Side chronicles one of the most disturbing chapters in American history, one that will serve as the lasting legacy of the George W. Bush presidency.

©2008 Jane Meyer (P)2008 Random House 21st Century Americas Freedom & Security Modern Political Science Politics & Government Terrorism United States War & Crisis Iran Emotionally Gripping Middle East Suspenseful

Critic reviews

"A powerful, brilliantly researched and deeply unsettling book....extraordinary and invaluable." (The New York Times Book Review)
"Like a good suspense novel....potent and disturbing stuff." (San Diego Tribune)
"The Dark Side is about how the war on terror became 'a war on American ideals,' and Mayer gives this story all the weight and sorrow it deserves. Many books get tagged with the word 'essential'; hers actually is." (Salon.com)
Well-researched History • Engaging Narrative • Deep Voice • Important Documentation • Detailed Account • Perfect Emotion
Highly rated for:
All stars
Most relevant  
Many of the ideals on torture that the conservatives hold true today are based on a false narrative stemming from the Bush administration. A skewed view of the constitution to uphold false arguments is not what our founding fathers stood for. In fact, the constitution was specifically written with this in mind. A republic is only a republic when the people choose to fight for it. This book explains explicitly how fear and knee jerk reactions leads to something almost unspeakable. This is a part of history that we should not forget and readily keep available to all academics seeking truth. Our future as a nation depends on it!! Also, if you love Jane Mayer then this book is a no brainer. All of her work is extraordinary!!! Stay woke!!

A must read to understand today's politics!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This was, from start to finish, one of the most engaging audio books I've listened to. Mayer covers the Bush administration from the eve of 9/11 until the end of its tenure with a focus on its manipulation of the law for political ends, especially as it related to executive power and the right to redefine how captured enemy combatants are treated. Far from being a critique of President Bush himself, she underlines his willingness to acquiesce to Cheney and his legal counsel, David Addington, in all matters regarding the treatment of prisoners and the methods by which intelligence was being extracted from them. It is a damning indictment of the unelected bureaucrats who cared more for their own peculiar and idiosyncratic dogmas than for the constitution of the United States, the separation of powers, or the will of the American people.

My only caution is - don't listen to it while you're trying to fall asleep; it will make you so angry, you won't get any.

Brilliant and Maddening

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Very well researched and written; a story I wished didn't need to be told. A must read.

The Story of how America gave up it's honor.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
A very well crafted account of our country's recent decent into torture and the fearmongering politics of the Bush Administration. Although a very long-winded book, the author leaves no detail or accusation unexplained. Mayer clearly did her homework on this subject, as this book should be mandatory reading for every civics class in American schools.

Enlightening!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This is a frightening--hair-raising--book that every American should read. Unfortunately, the narration is monotone and sluggish, to my ear. But the content is so compelling that this hardly gets in the way.

Absolutely outstanding

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I can't wait to listen to this one again. Each sentence kept me wanting more with never a dull moment. If you find this type of recent history interesting, you should've already heard this book. If you aren't sure if you like this genre, you will love this book even more for showing you behind the scenes of the aftermath of 9/11. Warning: You will be highly upset, but at least you will be entertained. I love how this isn't a boring, dry, stereotypical educational book. It's truly upbeat, fast pace, straightforward narrative that does a great job of separating chunks of information into the various chapters.

The narrator did an excellent job. I will look for more books read by him. His voice is so easy to listen to & adds the perfect emotion for what is being described.

You will not be disappointed. I promise you. If you aren't pleased, I will gift you a free credit.*

*not guaranteed. offering party will not be held accountable. "free credit" claim is a lie.

One of my best audible purchases to date

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Thank you Jane Mayer for a chilling and detailed account of Cheney, David Addington and John Yoo's reign of terror. This is an important book that tells the story of how we became torturers and how a few courageous republican lawyers -- Jack Goldsmith and James Comey -- spoke truth to power and put in motion the eventual outing of this outrageous criminality. This is not a democrat v. republican book. THis is a book about principled v. unprincipled people -- courage v. cowardice and sanity v. insanity. It is a must read ("listen").

Must read history

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
A fascinating account of the painful and idiotic descent into stupidity in the bush administration

Required tell reading on recent political history

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
It will leave you disgusted, ashamed, and horrified. It's know wonder everyone hats or country for even I'm starting to. Who acts we to tell people how to live when we turn around and do what we won't allow others to do. The founding fathers didn't trust the government and they created it but yet we follow it blindly refusing to listen to the creators on never trusting them and keeping them in check. The power is no longer in the people's hands like intended but instead only in a select few who agree to keep inline in their search of more and more power. They all should be put in jail for what they done and put the three same treatment they put those people threw. Terrorist ore nor without a trial they are innocent till proven otherwise not the other way around. In the end God will have his day of judgment and I would never wish hell on anyone but they will answer fire their ignorance and in human psychopathic ideas. Even the guilty wouldn't deserve treated this way for its just midevil and down right barbaric.

a must read/listen to

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This is a difficult read for anyone who still thinks America has a leg to stand on when telling the rest of the world how to act.

Totally brilliant. Jane Mayer crushes any suggestion that the GWB admin upheld American ideals and values as they responded to 9/11.

You will hear of disturbing inter-dept sparring (as well as total incompetence) that led to key pre-9/11 warnings going unnoticed. After listening to Mayer's report, the idea that Dick Cheney pulled Dubya's strings is nearly impossible to deny. And if you haven't yet figured out that the CIA is a totally incompetent, rogue group of meatheads that consistently embarrasses America and provides nothing of value, well you'll know it upon finishing this book.

McGonagle is the perfect narrator for this type of book. I applaud the producers for allowing Mayer's book to be read by the deep voiced McGonagle. In today's world it might be seen as controversial to have a woman's work read by a male, but in this case it led to this superb book being translated into one of the best history/military audiobooks that I have listened to.

Fantastic. Necessary reading for USA defenders

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews