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House Of War: The Pentagon and the Disastrous Rise of American Power Paperback – June 4, 2007

by James Carroll (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 97 ratings
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"A masterful achievement...[Carroll's] prose is elegant, his viewpoint bold." —Howard Zinn, author of The People's History of the United States

"One cannot understand the impact of the Pentagon on US foreign policy. . . without reading James Carroll's House of War." —Lawrence Korb, former Undersecretary of Defence under Ronald Reagan

From the National Book Award–winning author of An American Requiem and Constantine's Sword comes a sweeping yet intimate look at the Pentagon and its vast—often hidden—impact on America.

This landmark, myth-shattering work chronicles the most powerful institution in America, the people who created it, and the pathologies it has spawned. James 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. To argue his case, he marshals a trove of often chilling evidence. He recounts how "the Building" and its denizens achieved what Eisenhower called "a disastrous rise of misplaced power"—from the unprecedented aerial bombing of Germany and Japan during World War II to the "shock and awe" of Iraq. He charts the colossal U.S. nuclear buildup, which far outpaced that of the USSR, and has outlived it. He reveals how consistently the Building has found new enemies just as old threats—and funding—evaporate. He demonstrates how Pentagon policy brought about U.S. indifference to an epidemic of genocide during the 1990s. And he shows how the forces that attacked the Pentagon on 9/11 were set in motion exactly sixty years earlier, on September 11, 1941, when ground was broken for the house of war.

Carroll draws on rich personal experience (his father was a top Pentagon official for more than twenty years) as well as exhaustive research and dozens of extensive interviews with Washington insiders. The result is a grand yet intimate work of history, unashamedly polemical and personal but unerringly factual. With a breadth and focus that no other book could muster, it explains what America has become over the past sixty years.

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  1. Print length
    688 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Harper Paperbacks
  4. Publication date
    June 4, 2007
  5. Dimensions
    6 x 1.71 x 9 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    9780618872015
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0618872015
  8. See all details
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4.4 out of 5 stars
97 global ratings

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Customers find the book engaging and interesting. They say it's a great, scholarly work worth reading. The writing quality is praised as well-written and the book is long.

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12 customers mention "Readability"12 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging and well-written. They describe it as a riveting piece of high-quality literature with interesting anecdotes. The endnotes are also mentioned as important to read. Overall, readers praise the book as an outstanding non-fiction work with an appealing peppering of anecdote.

"...James Carroll’s account is riveting and multi-layered, with an appealing peppering of anecdotes, many from his personal history with the institution..." Read more

"...This is a great book and would get five stars but Carroll needs to leave more prose on the editing room floor...." Read more

"...Strong, prosperous, free, but with not enough restraint...." Read more

"This book is a great scholarly work and, at the same time, a riveting piece of high quality literature. My copy was published in 2006...." Read more

3 customers mention "Value for money"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's value for money. They find it worth reading and examining closely.

"...This book is worth examining closely." Read more

"The book is long and filled with hope for a brighter future...." Read more

"...James Carroll's skill as a novelist makes it well worth the effort to read." Read more

3 customers mention "Writing quality"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the writing quality good and readable.

"...The writing is clear and straightforward and the analysis is cogent...." Read more

"This is a beautifully written, thoughtful profile of modern American power through the eyes of the son of Lieutenant General Joseph F. Carroll..." Read more

"This is an outstanding piece of work, very well written and highly readable...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • A. J.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fear and Loathing at the Pentagon.
    Reviewed in the United States on July 14, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    House of War provides a thorough and detailed account of American foreign policy since the creation of the Pentagon during WWII. James Carroll’s account is riveting and multi-layered, with an appealing peppering of anecdotes, many from his personal history with the institution, as his father had been the first director of the Defense Intelligence Agency. Due to the latter condition, he was able to obtain candid interviews with persons who played roles of central importance to the Department of Defense and presidential administrations, such as, Robert McNamara. The writing is clear and straightforward and the analysis is cogent. He shows that although there were hawk-dove conflicts in the Pentagon and in the Departments of Defense and State throughout multiple administrations, the hawks succeeded in creating and fomenting the paranoid style that has dominated Pentagon culture since WWII and continues today. Carroll succinctly parses the foreign policy objectives and decisions of every administration from FDR to Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld and the post 911 situation. There were times where it looked like the Pentagon beast might be subdued, but the invasion of southern part of the Korean peninsula by communist forces from what is now North Korea in 1950 gave it continuing reason to thrive.
    Carroll documents the role and influence that a number of key figures have played in multiple administrations over the course of this historical period. (I will refrain from issuing spoilers, but many readers will wonder why we are all still alive at this point.) His analysis and anecdotes will leave the reader alternatively amused, horrified, and sometimes deeply grieved. There are bright spots in history that provide glimpses of hope. For example, he gives credit to JFK for changing his vector after the Bay of Pigs fiasco and the Cuban missile crisis, but this change of strategy was undermined by the expansion of military involvement in Southeast Asia. Carroll also provides an insightful analysis of Gorbachev and Reagan coming close to achieving significant levels of arms reductions, only to be thwarted by Pentagon hawks. The fall of the Soviet Union and the destruction of the Berlin Wall in 1989 provided a similar opportunity to end cold war paranoia, but the invasion of Kuwait by Saddam furnished fresh grounds to justify the continuing hegemony exerted by the Pentagon on American foreign policy.
    I think everyone should read this book. I didn’t say that every American should read this book (although indeed they should) -- I said everyone should read this book, since we on planet Earth are all affected by the Pentagon and the polices that it helps to shape and perpetuate. I would love to see James Carroll update this book with some additional analysis devoted to the current state of affairs in the Middle East, as per late Bush II and Obama administration attempts, accomplishments, and failures.
    10 people found this helpful
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  • J. Adams
    5.0 out of 5 stars A startling history of the Pentagon and the neocons
    Reviewed in the United States on May 5, 2008
    Verified Purchase
    The Pentagon was supposed to be temporary but the Korean War changed that. It is the largest office building in the world now that that WTC I and II are gone. It has grown into an institution that, more and more, either controls or seeks to control the world.

    Historically ruled by the most paranoid of the super hawks, its leaders have been able to silence, fire, or marginalize doves. It always needs a bogeyman to justify the budget. Bogeymen are often created through exaggeration and paranoia. During much of the height of the 50's Cold War scare, the USSR had only four ICBM's but our presidents were continually advised of a yawning missile gap and Soviet leaders hell bent on global destruction. The truth is that our own behavior has been more provocative than the Reds.

    We had a golden opportunity to scale back when the Cold War ended but the war budget did not change a bit. Hence, we have transformed into an imperial nation with one tool at our disposal....the sledge hammer.

    Wolfowitz, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rice, and Bush get the credit they so richly deserve for.....you fill in the rest.

    This is a great book and would get five stars but Carroll needs to leave more prose on the editing room floor. Aw heck, I just gave it five stars due to the importance and conprehensiveness.
    5 people found this helpful
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  • LV1219
    5.0 out of 5 stars I started disturbed
    Reviewed in the United States on July 24, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Starting this book I was disturbed by what I thought was anti-military. I almost stopped reading.

    As I worked through the book, I came to realize we are so far away from our founding fathers. We fight for people that don't want to fight for themselves, we spend our youth and treasures on protecting people who prosper and keep their people safe.

    This book opened up the American world and what it has become. Strong, prosperous, free, but with not enough restraint.

    As an old Marine it made me question sacrifices made that maybe should not have been made by our country and our people.

    This book is worth examining closely.
    5 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • JM
    5.0 out of 5 stars Well thought out
    Reviewed in Canada on February 26, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    House of War is a well thought out history of the CIA and its operations abroad. It is a long read but one that is entirely worthwhile. For anyone with an interest in American history, especially the periods during the cold war this is an exceptional reference.
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