Accessory to War: The Unspoken Alliance Between Astrophysics and the Military

by Neil deGrasse Tyson, Avis Lang Narrated by Courtney B. Vance

Overview

New York Times Bestseller

An exploration of the age-old complicity between skywatchers and warfighters, from the best-selling 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.

Editorial Reviews

The New York Times Book Review - Jennifer Carson

…clearly organized by scientifically minded authors…the writing is always directed toward illuminating the research…The language moves between the literary and analytical, evenhanded yet passionate. This is not to say the authors don't have a point of view, about which they are transparent from the onset, but the book lets the facts, and the many first-person quotes, speak for themselves…Accessory to War condenses multiple bodies of work into one important, comprehensive and coherent story of the symbiotic developments of astrophysics and war. The authors are…convincing that scientific space endeavors aren't separable from military ones, and they never were. The lesson is not merely a wake-up call for astrophysicists, but for all of us, for anyone with the misapprehension that science somehow marches on separate from the rest of culture.

From the Publisher

"A sweeping panoramic overview of the enduring alliance between astrophysics and the military—from the Greeks to Galileo to GPS."— Science

"Through ample research and nimble storytelling, Tyson and [Lang] trace the long and tangled relationship between state power and astronomy.… Deep and eloquent."— Joshua Sokol Washington Post

"Fascinating.… The book’s message rings like a wake-up call."— Marcelo Gleiser NPR

"With brutal honesty, Tyson and Lang reveal how looking at the stars has always been both ‘pure’ science and an adjunct of war-making.… Thought-provoking and reflective."— Sharon Weinberger Nature

"Archimedes and Leonardo worked for their departments of defense, and when the telescope was invented it was an immediate instrument of war. Why do astrophysicists even have jobs? asks Neil deGrasse Tyson. Now you can see the inside story, from early times to the Cold War, the Apollo program, spy satellites and the Hubble Space Telescope, the Iraq War, and perhaps asteroid mining. A wonderful book and a fascinating read, full of amazing stories, all backed up with deep scholarship."— John Mather, winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics

"Exhaustively researched.… Rich with wry humor and vivid descriptions of cosmic goings-on."— Science News

"Accessory to War is a phenomenal work that should be required reading for policymakers everywhere."— William E. Burrows, author of Deep Black: Space Espionage and National Security and This New Ocean: The Story of the First Space Age

"Throughout history, wars tend to be won by nations that are at the forefront of science. Thus astronomers and physicists have, since ancient times, benefited from an uneasy alliance with the military. This enlightening book explores the history and current implications of this partnership between space science and national security."— Walter Isaacson, author of Steve Jobs and professor of history, Tulane University

"Accessory to War: The Unspoken Alliance Between Astrophysics and the Military is not just about astrophysics. It is a readable account of the intersection between science and security policy, complete with historical background and personal insights and anecdotes from America’s most trusted scientist. This is a much-needed read for both policymakers and the public, who in ‘normal’ times know and care too little about science, but in today’s political climate increasingly show disdain for scientific principles that fail to fit their philosophical reality or political goals. Astrophysics is too often perceived as ‘not touching me or my life,’ but this book artfully explains otherwise."— Joan Johnson-Freese, professor of national security affairs, Naval War College

"Neil deGrasse Tyson and Avis Lang have provided a wonderful history of the interplay between scientists and warfare. From telescopes to GPS satellites, astrophysicists have been closely linked to the military. A fascinating read with a worthy message for today."— James Clay Moltz, author of Crowded Orbits, Asia’s Space Race, and The Politics of Space Security

Kirkus Reviews

2018-06-18
An exploration of the bonds, fiscal and intellectual, between science and the military.Every 3.6 days, write renowned astrophysicist Tyson (Astrophysics for People in a Hurry, 2017, etc.) and Lang, a research associate at the Hayden Planetarium, an unclassified research paper by a scientist affiliated with the Los Alamos National Laboratory appears, swelling the literature of astrophysics with work on supernovas, gamma ray bursts, and all such manner of future-shock science. The authors deliver a history that is broader than its subtitle suggests; though Tyson is a space scientist, the military-industrial complex leverages workers in every scientific discipline, from agronomy to zoology. This linkage has become ever tighter in the years since 9/11, when it was "a fine time to be a mercenary, a military engineering firm, or a giant aerospace company." Science and technology workers were close behind, flush with billions of dollars delivered to a wide variety of projects. Though academic scientists were a minor part of the mix, writes Tyson, "it has long been clear to me that the space research my colleagues and I conduct plugs firmly and fundamentally into the nation's military might." Thus it ever was, perhaps. Between 1903 and 1916, write the authors, only 1,000 planes were manufactured in the United States, but put on a war footing and with federal funds flowing, the aerospace industry was turning out twice that many planes every month, the product of the close relationship among industry, science, and government that has reigned ever since. The leveraging of science in the national interest goes against the basic spirit of the enterprise, since science is supposed to be universal and "in space there is no religion, culture, or politics"—and yet the military is where the money is even if the funding for astrophysics, and indeed basic science, is the tiniest fraction of military spending overall.An intriguing history. Look for mines and ray guns on the final frontier, for, as the authors conclude, "what a country funds is what that country prioritizes."

Product Details

BN ID:	2940172081569
Publisher:	Penguin Random House
Publication date:	09/11/2018
Edition description:	Unabridged

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