Drift

The Unmooring of American Military Power

By: Rachel Maddow

Narrated by: Rachel Maddow

Length: 7 hrs and 31 mins

Publisher's summary

The #1 New York Times bestseller that charts America’s dangerous drift into a state of perpetual war. "One of my favorite ideas is, never to keep an unnecessary soldier," Thomas Jefferson wrote in 1792. Neither Jefferson nor the other Found­ers could ever have envisioned the modern national security state, with its tens of thousands of "privateers"; its bloated Department of Homeland Security; its rust­ing nuclear weapons, ill-maintained and difficult to dismantle; and its strange fascination with an unproven counterinsurgency doctrine.

Written with bracing wit and intelligence, Rachel Maddow's Drift argues that we've drifted away from America's original ideals and become a nation weirdly at peace with perpetual war, with all the financial and human costs that entails. To understand how we've arrived at such a dangerous place, Maddow takes us from the Vietnam War to today's war in Afghanistan, along the way exploring the disturbing rise of executive authority, the gradual outsourcing of our war-making capabilities to private companies, the plummeting percentage of American families whose children fight our constant wars for us, and even the changing fortunes of G.I. Joe. She offers up a fresh, unsparing appraisal of Reagan's radical presidency. Ultimately, she shows us just how much we stand to lose by allowing the priorities of the national security state to overpower our political discourse.

Sensible yet provocative, dead serious yet seri­ously funny, Drift will reinvigorate a "loud and jangly" political debate about how, when, and where to apply America's strength and power--and who gets to make those decisions.

©2012 Rachel Maddow (P)2012 Random House

Critic reviews

"Thank Ms. Maddow for picking this and every other fight that Drift provokes. It will be a smarter public debate than the kinds we're used to." (Janet Maslin, New York Times)

"Maddow’s distinctive voice in Drift is highly intelligent, often incredulous and intermittently and humorously profane...Her thesis, which is passionately and effectively articulated, remind[s] us of how far we have drifted from linking the sacrifices of our armed forces around the world to the citizens at home they so selflessly serve… Maddow…[has] provided readers with a timely and perhaps necessary provocation to examine the far-reaching consequences of the American way of war." (Gordon M. Goldstein, Washington Post)

"Crosses partisan lines and deals with issues that deserve a healthy debate...A compelling, intelligent read filled with Maddow's trademark wit." (Mary Houlihan, Chicago Sun-Times)

Maddow is everything I expected her to be!

Articulate, intelligent and witty! This book is time well spent. The fact that it is read by the author makes it seem like you are in the room with her having a conversation.

Solid narrative, solidly performed.

What did you love best about Drift?

I was pleasantly surprised when I learned that Ms. Maddow was performing her own book. This was after I had already learned about the book and nearly decided to purchase it. The book is a solid history of Cold-War and Post-Cold-War military policy, and I'm mightily glad to have read it. The fact that Maddow performs it in her characteristic "wow-can-you-believe-this-nonsense" manner makes a possibly dry subject compelling. Well done.

Outstanding Book written and read by Rachel Maddow

Where does Drift rank among all the audiobooks you???ve listened to so far?

#1

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

Outstanding research, writing and narrative by Maddow.

Which scene was your favorite?

Great explanation of how the US military got where we currently are in the middle east.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes

Any additional comments?

Wonderfully read by the author

Maddow earns her spot as my favorite journalist.

For many years, I only considered myself a casual-follower of political news. I always preferred to laugh with Jon Stewart over the absurdities of our politics, rather than feeling particularly invested in what goes on in government. That completely changed after I caught The Daily Show's interview with Rachel Maddow for this book. Charmed by her intelligence and charisma during those 5 minutes, I decided to download her audiobook and hear what else she had to say. She did not disappoint!

Rachel brings all her personality into this 9-hour listen, and takes you on a full-circle tour of American military and political history spanning from the Second World War to present day Iraq/Afghanistan. I think regardless of your political views, you can appreciate the thorough historical context she provides for how and why the American military came to be in its present state: an instrument of incredibly enormous potential, wielded by the few, and used with a frightful lack of oversight on the part of Congress and enabled by the disinterest of the general public.

I am thankful now to no longer consider myself among those disinterested in what our government is up to. The narrative here is fascinating, and I'm really grateful to have heard it straight from Maddow herself.

Long story short- Highly recommended!

BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN LITTLE KNOWN FACTS

If you could sum up Drift in three words, what would they be?

This was the best book I've heard in a while. Rachel Maddow is a gifted writer, and the fact that she read her own book just made it a joy to hear. Some of the things she points out will blow your mind. Read it.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Totally, it made getting stuck in traffic the best part of the day.

Awesome History Lesson

I am a USMC Veteran and have thoroughly enjoyed this book. A good deal of the information contained in ths book happened before I became politically aware...before I truly paid attention.

The most important book fo the decade.

What made the experience of listening to Drift the most enjoyable?

The clear and frank approach to an extremely important and controversial subject.

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

How we are all affected by the military industrial complex, and how by challenging it make us enemies of the state.

What does Rachel Maddow bring to the story that you wouldn???t experience if you just read the book?

A clear and compelling argument.

Passionate, Patriotic and Perspicacious...

...(Now with extra snark!) I was blown away by this book. Dr. Maddow once again proves herself to be the smartest person in the room. Drift is well-researched and passionately argued. One thing that particularly struck me was how deeply patriotic this book is. If I could I would buy this book for every FOX News conservative in my life as vaccine against the meme that liberals 'hate America and the military'. Her admiration for the US military comes through each and every time she mentions people actually serving in uniform. What's more, her admiration for the Founders and what they built in the way of firewalls to prevent us from blithely stumbling into wars also comes forth.

If I have any criticism and it is only a minor one is that she's a little *too* snarky at points. Other than that I cannot recommend this book highly enough, it is informative, sobering and a call to attention and action not for liberals by a liberal but for Americans by an American.

Excellent analysis

Would you listen to Drift again? Why?

I would listen again to review rationale for specific points she makes.

Have you listened to any of Rachel Maddow’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This is the first time I've heard her in audio book. She was very engaging and kept the interest up.

Any additional comments?

I like her research and her ability to translate it into common language.

Maddow at her best !!!

Would you consider the audio edition of Drift to be better than the print version?

I am 84 years old and my eyes are not all that good anymore and so the audible editions not only keep me up to date, they act as my entertainment and social outlets

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

Trusing the integrety of the author

Which scene was your favorite?

no particular scene

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

.. "and the truth will set you free"

Any additional comments?

none