War Is a Racket: The Antiwar Classic by America's Most Decorated Soldier 1st Edition

by Smedley Darlington Butler (Author), Jesse Ventura (Introduction)

49 customer reviews

ISBN-13: 978-1626361058

ISBN-10: 1626361053

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War Is a Racket is the title of two works, a speech and a booklet, by retired US Marine Corps Major General and two-time Medal of Honor recipient Smedley Darlington Butler. In these works, Butler frankly discusses from his experience as a career military officer how business interests commercially benefit from warfare. After his retirement from the Marine Corps, Gen. Butler made a nationwide tour in the early 1930s giving his speech, “War Is a Racket.” The speech was so well received that he wrote a longer version that was published in 1935, now republished with a foreword by former governor of Minnesota and New York Times bestselling author Jesse Ventura.

Jesse Ventura reviews Major General Butler’s original writings and brings them up to date, relating them to our current political climate. Butler was a visionary in his day, and Ventura works to show how right he was and how wrong our current democracy is. Read for the first time Butler’s words with Ventura’s witty, yet insightful spin on this relevant work that will appeal not only to military historians, but also to those interested in the state of our country and the entire world.

War Is a Racket: The Antiwar Classic by America's Most Decorated Soldier

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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Smedley Darlington Butler, nicknamed “The Fighting Quaker” and “Old Gimlet Eye,” was a major general in the US Marine Corps and at the time of his death was the most decorated marine in US history. By the end of his career he had received sixteen medals, five of which were for heroism. He is one of nineteen people to be twice awarded the Medal of Honor, one of three to be awarded both the Marine Corps Brevet Medal and the Medal of Honor, and the only person to be awarded the Brevet Medal and two Medals of Honor, all for separate actions.

Jesse Ventura is the former governor of Minnesota and author of four national bestsellers, including 63 Documents the Government Doesn't Want You to Read and American Conspiracies. Ventura is the host of the television show Conspiracy Theory with Jesse Ventura on truTV.

Hardcover: 224 pages
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing; 1 edition (October 1, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1626361053
ISBN-13: 978-1626361058
Product Dimensions: 5 x 5 x 7 inches
Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
Average Customer Review: 49 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #842,940 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #628 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Politics & Government > Specific Topics > War & Peace
- #1666 in Books > History > Military > Strategy
- #1766 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Politics & Government > International & World Politics > Security

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Educate yourself by reading this book.

ByEZEon January 7, 2014

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

This book is quite an eye opener. Anyone thinking about joining the military should read this before making a decision. Too many young kids join up thinking they are actually fighting for freedom or to defend this country only to realize that war is nothing but a horrible thing that makes no sense. The reason it makes no sense is because it only benefits the people who profit from war.

As stated by General Butler in this book, the only legitimate reason for war is to defend your country from an invading force that's at your borders. Other than that there is no good reason for war. Money, resources, and land are things that most wars are fought for these days. Things that the average soldier and citizen that is doing the fighting and sacrificing will never benefit from.

I'm fairly certain that if kids in high school were required to read this book, you'd have less people supporting these illegal wars we are currently engaged in. It might even help stop future wars if enough citizens were educated instead of just blindly following patriotic propaganda.

11 comment 18 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Content is great. Edition is crap.

ByTroy Schilperoorton January 22, 2016

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

I will never understand publishers who release a nice hardcover edition without putting the least effort toward editing. This edition is riddled with spelling errors, grammatical errors, and basic formatting errors. It lacks footnotes or endnotes. The content is great, and the title essay is a must-read, but the rest of the speeches seem to have been transcribed either by someone who lacks even a high school education, or someone who lacks English fluency. The tells lie amongst the failure to accurately transcribe basic English idiomatic expressions or grammar. The following examples are some of the great instances of word salad you'll find in this edition:

"this estimate most also include"
"[the average overseas soldier] knows now that he was merely a poem in a game"
"How will he might fare should he to lucky enough to return"
"As far a wealth and properties are concerned"

These were taken from a mere 20 page section. I could comb the rest of the book for more examples, but I think you get the picture of the effort that was put into editing this edition.

11 comment 3 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

War "IS" a Racket

ByCecille Chanon March 21, 2015

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Everyone should read this book, ESPECIALLY those who love to accuse antiwar people of being against our own soldiers. They somehow manage to distort what is being said to suit their agenda. No one can accuse me of not knowing how it is to have a loved one join the military and be sent off to a war zone. I have had loved ones do exactly just that. War really is a racket. Both sides of any war (since time immemorial) is funded by the same people. The controllers of the wars (they control everything else) pit us against each other as they rake in billions of dollars in income from selling war machines, etc. The value of our lives, our loved ones lives, is of no consequence to them. These controllers are heartless. I cringe every time I see TV programs patronizing this long running SCAM. I do not consider our soldiers heroes. I consider them VICTIMS of this racket. Our world is in a dismal state and I have little hope we would ever get out of this state since most of the population has been dumbed down. Only a very small part of the population knows exactly what is going on. Everyone is too busy watching their sports channel, their tele novelas, etc., oblivious to the destruction being foisted on us by the controllers of this planet. Everyone needs to wake up. I read 65-70 books a year, just for the information. This is the only way to hone one's bullsh*t radar (to read extensively). I do not expect anyone to read a much as I do, but read at least a few books a year, or subscribe to alternative media online and have a glimpse of the truth. WAKE UP!

0Comment 3 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Butler's Book Applies RIGHT NOW: We Need Change

ByZalmorion the Fantasticon September 28, 2014

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Fantastic book that every American should read. Short but sweet, Butler's book makes its points in a straight-forward, no nonsense way. It simply makes sense. Period. No conspiracy theories. No questionable reasoning. Just the obvious truth that so many of us are redirected from by overwhelming life responsibilities, a scary economy, manufactured news, and superficial media coverage.

His ideas on voting for war are simple and ingenious. That alone would end war. Have those fat, rich, corrupt people who cry for war but cannot do one push-up themselves fight! Have their families put into danger AS WELL. If no one escaped the fighting, there would be a hell of a lot LESS of it.

What is sad is that this book was written a while ago--meaning that the fat cat scumbags have been manipulating this once-great nation for a long time. Reading this book is like reading an incredibly relevant article that could have been written yesterday!

We have the same problems with the same warmongers and their ilk. We need to change things. We need to crush these terrible excuses for human beings before their acts ruin our world and kill more of our children.

Great book. Read it, pass it on, and buy a few as gifts. R.I.P. Mr. Butler.

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Exposing the War Racket

ByKammasurion April 14, 2014

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

I was told by many old-timers that many wars were started in the Interests of the Bankers, and that WWI was started by the Federal Reserve. and that as well "oil" interests were also involved. And there's much information to back up this information. War Is A Racket reveals much about the purposes of various wars, and the propaganda that supports them; plus the loss of lives against constitutional principles. The book itself is an interesting read, yet due to its formatting, is made up of smaller and leger case throughout; and photo-copies of actual writings to obtain authenticity in its content - this is explained by the authors. As it turns out, all that I have been told over past years has been verified in many ways, which is sad. I would say the book is a "must read" if understanding the Federal Government interests you. All that we witness today is a result of corrupt causes, and as you will learn from this book, at the costs of hundreds of thousands of many innocent lives, and the sufferings of survivors and the families of all. Believe me, you will learn much from this book.