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The Pentagon's Brain

The Pentagon's Brain An Uncensored History of DARPA, America's Top-Secret Military Research Agency

Paperback (15 Jan 2026)

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Publisher's Synopsis

From the bestselling author of Nuclear War: A Scenario.

Discover the untold story of America's most powerful military science agency.


In this first-ever history of the Defense Department's most secret, most powerful and most controversial military science R&D agency, Sunday Times bestselling author Annie Jacobsen draws on inside sources, exclusive interviews, private documents, and declassified memos to demystify DARPA, 'the Pentagon's brain'.

Since its Cold War inception in 1958, DARPA's innovations have shaped the modern world - from its role in the development of the Internet and GPS to stealth technology. Yet, the agency's cutting-edge projects remain cloaked in secrecy, often outpacing public domain advancements by decades. In this groundbreaking account, Jacobsen uncovers DARPA's hidden history, triumphs and controversies, exploring its role in pioneering technologies that redefine warfare and society as it questions the wisdom of allowing DARPA to determine what lies ahead.

About the Publisher

Penguin Books

The first ten paperback Penguin books appeared in 1935 costing 6d each (the price of a packet of cigarettes). Since then the Penguin list has developed enormously, but still aims to bring the best writing to the widest possible audience. Penguin Paperbacks now range from Booker Prize-winning contemporary authors, to mass market bestsellers, with successful history, biography and general non-fiction as well.

Book information

ISBN: 9781804998830
Publisher: Transworld
Imprint: Penguin Books
Pub date:
Language: English
Number of pages: 576
Weight: 500g
Height: 198mm
Width: 127mm
Spine width: 35mm