The Pentagon's Brain Audiobook By Annie Jacobsen cover art

The Pentagon's Brain

An Uncensored History of DARPA, America's Top-Secret Military Research Agency

Preview

Get this deal Try for $0.00
Offer ends January 21, 2025 at 11:59PM ET.
Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
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.
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 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Pentagon's Brain

By: Annie Jacobsen
Narrated by: Annie Jacobsen
Get this deal Try for $0.00

$14.95/mo. after 3 months. Offer ends January 21, 2025 11:59PM ET. Cancel anytime.

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $30.41

Buy for $30.41

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Cancel

About this listen

Discover the definitive history of DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency, in this Pulitzer Prize finalist from the author of the New York Times best seller Area 51.

No one has ever written the history of the Defense Department's most secret, most powerful, and most controversial military science R&D agency. In the first-ever history about the organization, New York Times best-selling author Annie Jacobsen draws on inside sources, exclusive interviews, private documents, and declassified memos to paint a picture of DARPA, or "the Pentagon's brain", from its Cold War inception in 1958 to the present.

This is the audiobook on DARPA - a compelling narrative about this clandestine intersection of science and the American military and the often frightening results.

©2015 Annie Jacobsen (P)2015 Hachette Audio
Americas Biological & Chemical Warfare Weapons Military War Thought-Provoking Biological Weapons

Editorial reviews

"Annie Jacobsen...is a great storyteller, making the tantalizing tale of The Pentagon's Brain - from the depths of the Cold War to present day - come alive on every page." (Gerald Posner, author of God's Bankers)

Critic reviews

"A fascinating and unsettling portrait of the secretive US government agency.... Jacobsen walks a fine line in telling the story of the agency and its innovations without coming across as a cheerleader or a critic." ( Publishers Weekly starred review)
"Filled with the intrigue and high stakes of a spy novel, Jacobsen's history of DARPA is as much a fascinating testament to human ingenuity as it is a paean to endless industrial warfare." ( Kirkus Reviews)

What listeners say about The Pentagon's Brain

Highly rated for:

Fascinating Stories Detailed History Pleasant Voice Compelling Narrative Extensive Research Smooth Delivery
Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1,938
  • 4 Stars
    702
  • 3 Stars
    234
  • 2 Stars
    68
  • 1 Stars
    24
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1,671
  • 4 Stars
    572
  • 3 Stars
    268
  • 2 Stars
    68
  • 1 Stars
    49
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1,761
  • 4 Stars
    574
  • 3 Stars
    196
  • 2 Stars
    65
  • 1 Stars
    20

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Good historical view of DARPA!!

I enjoyed listening to this book, it provided a great insight into the operations of one of the most important agencies in our modern government and in the fight against terrorism. I enjoyed it and learned a few things. AUDIBLE 20 REVIEW SWEEPSTAKES ENTRY.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

the Pentagon truly is a spooky place.

the narration was very good. I can't even imagine the amount of research that went into this book. people would be absolutely amazed what goes on in the Pentagon and on some of these black budget missions.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

One of the greatest U.S.History books ever written

If you could sum up The Pentagon's Brain in three words, what would they be?

Expansive
Eye-Opening
Petrifying

Who was your favorite character and why?

Von Neuman - His brain

What about Annie Jacobsen’s performance did you like?

She delivers on all fronts

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Absolutely positively yes

Any additional comments?

Reading a second time already.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Scary!!

Great book. scary the tech that the military has had that is just coming out to the public today.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

muy interesante y necesario escuchar

todo está muy interesante. solo una cosa no me convenció sobre la explosión del pentágono durante los ataques de 9-11. la narración aunque es por la misma autora, lo cual está bien, es algo monótona en partes y llega a aburrir.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Good Book, Mediocre Narration

This book appears meticulously researched and is well written, but the narration leaves something to be desired, with many highly unusual pronunciations distracting from the storyline. In addition, the slow cadence required playing the book at 1.15 times in order to make it sound like a normal narration speed. This is a situation in which a good author does not necessarily a good narrator make.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A Must Read or Listen

Narrated well. The book is long but has you hooked all the way. It’s blown me away. I knew there was stuff happening. But how it happened, how close we got to total catastrophe and how many times is astonishing.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Incredible Verified True Story of DARPA

If you seek answers regarding government agencies, their establishment, history, and declassified activities along with personal interviews, there are a number of authors that must be read in order to put together the full story. Annie Jacobsen’s tireless works are part of this catalogue of factual nonfiction. Through this book, the revelations on how DARPA began and who was involved in its inception will assist readers in understanding what is going on in both America and the Global World of current times. It's a long listen...and I recommend reading it with a pen or making multiple bookmarks with annotations. Never fold the pages of a book...any decent book collector knows this is a terrible mistake.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

makes you think what's behind closed doors

good book only complaint is that a better reader performed in this book other than the author of the book

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Very interesting read!!

Narrator was awesome such an eye opening book!!! I had no clue to the extent that the United States government was so heavily invested into technology and surveillance.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!