Accessory to War: The Unspoken Alliance Between Astrophysics and the Military
Written by Neil deGrasse Tyson and Avis Lang
Narrated by Courtney B. Vance
3.5/5
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Currently unavailable
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About this audiobook
An exploration of the age-old complicity between skywatchers and warfighters, from the bestselling author of Astrophysics for People in a Hurry.
In this fascinating foray into the centuries-old relationship between science and military power, acclaimed astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson and writer-researcher Avis Lang examine how the methods and tools of astrophysics have been enlisted in the service of war. "The overlap is strong, and the knowledge flows in both directions," say the authors, because astrophysicists and military planners care about many of the same things: multi-spectral detection, ranging, tracking, imaging, high ground, nuclear fusion, and access to space. Tyson and Lang call it a "curiously complicit" alliance. "The universe is both the ultimate frontier and the highest of high grounds," they write. "Shared by both space scientists and space warriors, it's a laboratory for one and a battlefield for the other. The explorer wants to understand it; the soldier wants to dominate it. But without the right technology—which is more or less the same technology for both parties—nobody can get to it, operate in it, scrutinize it, dominate it, or use it to their advantage and someone else's disadvantage."
Spanning early celestial navigation to satellite-enabled warfare, Accessory to War is a richly researched and provocative examination of the intersection of science, technology, industry, and power that will introduce Tyson's millions of fans to yet another dimension of how the universe has shaped our lives and our world.
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Reviews for Accessory to War
61 ratings2 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A monster of a book. The early chapters, from ancient history to oh, about WW II, were particularly fascinating easy to understand, and heavy on early scientific history. As things got a bit more technical in later years, the book was just a bit of a slog. Stil the authors provide a great review of recent political and international history. Well worth reading.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Way too long, and afflicted with endless chapters. Lots of interesting stuff, and an important message about the relationships between science and the military throughout history, but reading the book was a chore.