The Pentagon’s Brain

An Uncensored History of DARPA

Annie Jacobsen

$29.99

Paperback

Forthcoming
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English

Penguin (Transworld)
15 January 2026

The Cold War; Military history; Military intelligence; Weapons & equipment; Military life & institutions

The history of the Defense Department's most secret, most powerful, and most controversial military science R&D agency.

In the first-ever history about the organization, New York Times bestselling author Annie Jacobsen draws on inside sources, exclusive interviews, private documents, and declassified memos to paint a picture of DARPA, or \""the Pentagon's brain,\"" from its Cold War inception in 1958 to the present.

This is the book on DARPA -- a compelling narrative about this clandestine intersection of science and the American military and the often frightening results.

By: Annie Jacobsen
Imprint: Penguin (Transworld)
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 197mm, Width: 129mm, Spine: 38mm
Weight: 422g
ISBN: 9781804998830
ISBN 10: 1804998834
Pages: 560
Publication Date: 15 January 2026
Audience: General/trade , College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , ELT Advanced , Primary
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Annie Jacobsen is the bestselling author of Nuclear War- A Scenario, which was shortlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize. A 2016 Pulitzer Prize finalist, her other books include Area 51, Operation Paperclip and Surprise, Kill, Vanish, and have been translated into 26 languages. She also writes and produces TV, including Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan. A graduate of Princeton University, she lives in Los Angeles with her husband and their two sons.