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Accessory to War cover art

Accessory to War

Written by: Avis Lang, Neil deGrasse Tyson
Narrated by: Courtney B. Vance, Neil deGrasse Tyson - introduction
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Publisher's Summary

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.

©2018 Neil deGrasse Tyson and Avis Lang (P)2018 Random House Audio

What the critics say

"DeGrasse Tyson reads the introduction, and he does a terrific job. He has a silky, deep voice, and he paces himself well. He could credibly read the entire work himself, but instead he hands off the audiobook to Courtney B. Vance, whose voice is just as deep but more formal, even regal. Vance does a magnificent job continuing the story with a tone that supports Tyson and Lang's words. The result is an audiobook that speaks to all of us, even those who know little about astrophysics." (AudioFile)

"Extraordinary.... A feast of history, an expert tour through thousands of years of war and conquest.... Condenses multiple bodies of work into one important, comprehensive and coherent story of the symbiotic developments of astrophysics and war.... 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." (Jennifer Carson, New York Times Book Review)

"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.... Retells the history of space exploration, and of the Cold War, excelling in bringing forth the entangled advances of science and military interests.... The book’s message rings like a wake-up call. (Marcelo Gleiser, NPR)

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    3 out of 5 stars

Doesn't quite hit the mark

First I want to say that's it a good book and some people might appreciate it more than me. I found the narrative repetitive from one chapter to another which made it hard stop stay engaged. Maybe my expectations wasn't at the right place...it's more of a history book than am astrophysic book.

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Intellectually enlightening

Although lengthy for an audiobook in my opinion, every second of this book was intriguing and covers almost everything you would want or need to know about the evolution of war and astrophysics as well as containing lots of history while remaining generally unbiased. 10/10 would recommend

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1 person found this helpful

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NDGT nails it again

The authors did a great job of uncovering details that help paint a complete picture of how scientific and political interests often aligned in ways that helped foster technological improvements.

The underlying science is interesting in itself, presented in a clear way by NDGT as usual. The history and politics would also make for the best history course of your life.

Kodoos to both authors!

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    3 out of 5 stars

Interesting, thorough examination that drags a bit

NDT has a fairly strong "little" book here, and if you're interested at all in the history of military science, you'll find enough here to do you well. Overall, I enjoyed it, and while there were some moments where I seriously lost track of what the author was on about, the narrator is engaging enough and the substance of the stories are interesting enough that I usually could get back on track. deGrasse Tyson isn't a bad historian either: while he neglects to mention his sources and context a bit too often for my tastes, he at least pulls from a wide range of them (including not just eurocentric ones) and the sheer breadth is surprisingly large.

I do have to say of NDT's writing style though that there are moments where the word-to-word prose drags—needless descriptions of minute details, overly-technical tangents not really relevant to his point, and overall a bit too much bloat for what NDT's trying to say. It's also a bit hard to find the themes the author is trying to draw out of every story he tells, from the effect astrology had on Victorian England and Nazi Germany, to the rapid development of the optical and then mechanical telegraph. The stories are interesting and they're presented in a compelling way, but it could have used another pass in editing to cut it down—it's more difficult than it should be to see why we're learning any of this.

Overall: it's a good book, a bit too long and full of unnecessary details, but the overall subject and the enthusiasm with which it's presented will get even non-fans most of the way through. Recommended for anyone with an interest in military history or the history of science.

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Good insights about technology

Well read. Historically filled with origns and ramifications of tech development at the strategic cutting edge of science.

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  • TK
  • 2018-09-18

Mind Melting.

More of what every curious mind needs. Expanding beyond "Astrophysics" NDT shines a flashlight on every facet of what we today call 'Science'. #Audible1

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Excellent book, very informative and interesting.

Another brilliant book by Dr.Tyson. Though I think he could have used a better more enthusiastic Narrator. Very informative and intriguing.

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Only 1 flaw

Neil didn't narrate the book - Other than that, wonderful! "ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen."

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Great Listen!

Super insightful and entertaining. If you are a fan of Neil deGrasse Tyson I highly recommend it!

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