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The Shadow World

Inside the Global Arms Trade

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The Shadow World

By: Andrew Feinstein
Narrated by: Gildart Jackson
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About this listen

The downloadable audiobook edition of Andrew Feinstein's powerful exposé, The Shadow World: Inside the Global Arms Trade, complete and unabridged and read by the actor Gildart Jackson. Pulling back the curtain on the secretive world of the global arms trade, Andrew Feinstein reveals the corruption and the cover-ups behind weapons deals ranging from the largest in history - between the British and Saudi governments - to BAE's controversial transactions in South Africa, Tanzania and eastern Europe, and the revolving-door relationships that characterise the US Congressional-Military-Industrial Complex. He exposes in forensic detail both the formal government-to-government trade in arms and the shadow world of illicit weapons dealing - and lays bare the shocking and inextricable links between the two. The Shadow World places us in the midst of the arms trade's dramatic wheeling and dealing, ranging from corporate boardrooms to seedy out-of-the-way hotels via far-flung offshore havens, and reveals the profound danger this network represents to all of us.

©2011 Andrew Feinstein (P)2011 Penguin Audio Corruption & Misconduct Freedom & Security Politics & Government Military National Security Africa Government Middle East

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Critic reviews

"Andrew Feinstein has written an authoritative guide to the business of war. Chilling, heartbreaking and enraging." (Arundhati Roy)
"Essential for anyone who cares about justice, transparency and accountability in both the public and private spheres, and for anyone who believes that it is more important to invest in saving lives than in the machinery of death." (Archbishop Desmond Tutu)
"A devastating and scrupulously documented account of the greed, venality, and rampant corruption pervading the global arms trade." (Andrew J. Bacevich, retired colonel, US Army, and author of Washington Rules: America's Path to Permanent War)
All stars
Most relevant  

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

This is a very complex book, which is difficult to follow from beginning to end in the Audiobook format. The upshot is that you can dip in and out of it with to great effect, in order to really dig into the details of one of the several themes. The author is strongly biased against arms dealing of any kind, but that is fine, as long as you approach the book with critical sense.

I would recommend this book in the form of an "Audio Encyclopedia" of arms dealing.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

No real "ending" as such. The author's conclusion is pretty clear from the beginning.

What about Gildart Jackson’s performance did you like?

Good rhythm and tone. Nothing to complain about!

Could you see The Shadow World being made into a movie or a TV series? Who would the stars be?

Not really.

Good, but very dense

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At times long winded and hard to follow but very insightful. Gives a good broad overview. I want to applaud the author for taking on such a convoluted and I'm sure at times dangerous topic.

Very informative

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We all know it goes on but the staggering arrogance of the individuals involved is truly sickening.

The narration is quite dry, which probably suits the subject matter.

Sickening

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It is too long by about 5 hours. Whilst Andrew has an obvious grasp of the subject and has researched this extensively. You still cannot feel that he is hitting the easy targets first. Europe and America, he covers them extremely well but misses the irony that all the so called, 'shadow' deals, are all too in the public sphere and are so sensitive that they can be published in a book and he not be sued. He starts to cover the other main areas but it reads more like a history book than a serious look at this world. He misses our secrecy jurisdictions and aged Russian plans and why the West seems unable to act and then suddenly does. Whislt I would recommend it, it is at best a second rate book.

Good - but too long and anti western

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A very well researched and superbly narrated expose on what is a very murky industry. The author's first hand experience is clear to see and adds authenticity to his findings.

Superbly written and absolutely fascinating.

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Organised crime, AKA, world business practice. Don't feel that the arms industry is all bad, so are most businesses when you dig deep enough! The business world doesn't revolve with smiles and hand shakes alone, they all need their cut to make it feel worthwhile.

Face the truth about the world we live in.

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I liked the book and learnt allot about the greed and hypocrisy by states and other non state actors that continue to cause mayhem across the world. The narrator is so good that he is even able to pronounce African names correctly which most people find difficult. So everything is five stars for me.

Very informative

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this is a secrecy masterpiece and Andrew delivers the complicated world with ease. complicated exciting and intriguing

fantastic stuff, loved every bit of it

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I learned a lot about arms trade - not surprising.
I was shocked regarding the enormous volumes. Very interesting to learn about the powers of arms trade, the wide spread corruption on all involved parts.

But for a layman I found it far too long. Sometimes like listening to an academic paper or a court judgement. Names, numbers, references... but hard to understand actual content or meaning.

As a Swede I now understand why SAAB cooperated with BAE Systems to sell the Gripen fighter...

Academic and long

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This is an amazing listen, but not for the faint-hearted. It's a long and detailed book about the Arms Trade showing how the murky world of the illegal industry and the supposedly respectable arms industry - involving governments and major corporations - intersect. In particular, it exposes the corruption behind the market world leaders in this world - Lockheed-Martin and BAE systems. At every turn, attempts to bring these corporations to book have been thwarted, often by world leaders. One reviewer calls the book "academic". It isn't, it is long and detailed, however, and there's probably a shorter, harder hitting book in there somewhere. I'm glad, therefor, to see that this job will be done by a film due out in 2016.While his reading is not hugely expressive, hats off to Gildart Jackson for his clarity and stamina!

Devastating, detailed expose of the Arms Trade

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