Accessory to War

The Unspoken Alliance Between Astrophysics and the Military

By: Avis Lang, Neil deGrasse Tyson

Narrated by: Courtney B. Vance, Neil deGrasse Tyson - introduction

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

Critic reviews

"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

Reality is not linear

Excellent commentary on the nonlinear and morally gray aspects of Human progress, and the necessity of such.

Tough imagery.

Solid performance.

Recommended

An amazing book. Makes you think.

Blazed through the book. It contains amazing facts, Well reasoned arguments and makes you think about the direction that we should all start to work towards in everyday life, given the past and the direction that are currently on.

Vast information that touches seemingly everything

Absolutely incredible in its forging path to bring humility to every member of humanity.
Thank you.

Attention Demanding?

This book is filled with interesting facts. Details about historical events that one does not really learn in school.
I like how this book helped me understand our recent past better. As someone who is a big space/Sci-Fi fan, this book helped me ground myself and make more educated guesses as to where the future could be leading.

At times one feels like there are so many facts that it is easy to drift off I to other thought, and one ends up afraid that one will have to re-listen large portions, yet strangely enough it’s a very simple book to understand. So it’s even ok to go on a tangent every now and then.

Made His Point and Kept Making It

I expected this book, by a well-respected and famous scientist, to be engaging and provacative. Instead Tyson and Lang make their point about the military-science-industrial complex in the first chapter and continue to give you history lessons and dry anecdotes along the way. I find that it would have made a more interesting podcast or YouTube mini-series.

Amazing and important.

All humans should read this to understand how space effects their life. I for one learned a great deal about aerospace.

Fascinating connections highlighted

There is a lot of information to digest as the history of technological advancements to understand astronomy and physics is explained, and the impact on warfare and political dominance is connected.

Courtney Vance's vocal timber, cadence, and emphasis helps to make this a thoroughly enjoyable listen as well as to help grasp the gravity of the words written.

it took me longer than usual to listen, as I found it necessary to pause and consider the information before continuing on, and this audiobook certainly had me questioning my previous understanding of 'history' within this new frame.

Brilliant

Tyson nails the unspoken relationship with war and human/scientific progress. I really enjoyed this book.

A nice reality check.

I loved the history and overview but the chapter content chronology threw me off at times.

Eve opening but Boooooring

learned a lot from this audiobook. but my golly the narration can't be more boring.