Empire's Labor: The Global Army That Supports U.S. Wars

By: Adam Moore

Narrated by: Gary Roelofs

In a dramatic unveiling of the little-known world of contracted military logistics, Adam Moore examines the lives of the global army of laborers who support US overseas wars. Empire's Labor brings us the experience of the hundreds of thousands of men and women who perform jobs such as truck drivers and administrative assistants at bases located in warzones in the Middle East and Africa. He highlights the changes the US military has undergone since the Vietnam War, when the ratio of contractors to uniformed personnel was roughly 1:6. In Afghanistan it has been as high as 4:1.

Focusing on workers from the Philippines and Bosnia, two major sources of "third country national" (TCN) military labor, Moore explains the rise of large-scale logistics outsourcing since the end of the Cold War; describes the networks, infrastructures, and practices that span the spaces through which people, information, and goods circulate; and reveals the experiences of foreign workers, from the hidden dynamics of labor activism on bases, to the economic and social impacts these jobs have on their families and the communities they hail from.

The book is published by Cornell University Press. The audiobook is published by University Press Audiobooks.

©2019 Cornell University (P)2019 Redwood Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"A beautifully written, essential book exposing the labor and labor exploitation underpinning the military industrial complex, U.S. empire, and the corporations fueling permanent war." (David Vine, author of Base Nation)

"Will be a foundational text for understanding contemporary war and providing insight into labor's pushback." (Catherine Lutz, author of Homefront and An Empire of Bases)

Making the Lives & Labor of the Invisible Visible

This book tells the story of Bosnians and Filipino laborers in US military bases worldwide. Based on extensive interviews it gives you a great understanding of the economic structures and cultural hierarchies that shape their lives. Some US contracting firms are decent enough employers but some are not. Turkish, Kuwaiti and Saudi firms are often exploitative. Overall, the book provides an insightful and nuanced picture of the labor supply chains and workforce that are the invisible force keeping the empire of US military bases across the world running.