War is a Racket

Written by General Smedley D. Butler

Narrated by D. S. Harvey

After his retirement from the Marine Corps in the early 1930's, General Smedley D. Butler embarked on a national lecture tour, where he gave his speech about how commercial interests benefit from war. The speech was well received and he wrote an expanded version of it, which was published as War Is A Racket. The work was published by Reader's Digest as a condensed book supplement, which added to its popularity.
The book consists of five chapters. The first chapter cites telling statistics: 21,000 people became millionaires and billionaires during the war; 4 million men served; the growth of national debt by a factor of 25 from 1898 to 1918. The second chapter details the level of profits made by many major U.S. corporations made in the years preceding World War I and compares them to the significantly greater profits made from and during the war. The third chapter lays bare the ways in which the costs are borne by the public, with particular focus on humiliating deductions from the pay of soldiers. Chapter four sets forth three simple methods to limit wars: insist that everyone in the war economy earn the same income as that of the soldiers; conduct a vote to decide whether or not to go to war and limit the voters to those who would serve; limit appropriations and activities to strictly defensive measures. The final chapter shows the futility of arms limitations negotiations and makes it plain that only total disarmament will break the back of the beast.

• Language: English
• Publisher: MP3 Audiobook Classics
• Release date: Oct 29, 2019
• ISBN: 9781982786281

Reviews for War is a Racket

[ivan vasik · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very true about the war how few profit and the poor go to war

[Aylea Wilkins · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Short, engaging, to-the-point. This ought to be required reading for all US History students, given the proper context of Smedley Butler's position in war history: received the medal of honor twice (only two people have ever received it that many times), a marine who served in multiple wars and conflicts over a military career spanning almost three decades, and a prominent activist who uncovered a plot to overthrow the US government by the likes of Bush (dad and grandad of the two president bushes), JP Morgan, Hearst, and Sloan. This short book, along with a historical analysis of Butler's life, will go a long way to educate people about the oft-neglected and misunderstood first three decades of the twentieth century.

[Dan · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great book, particularly interesting read in 2020. Short and concise.

[Stephen Revere · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This should be required reading for all high school students. We would have a better country.

[Blake · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Thorough and too the point. As they same , “ the more it changes the more it’s the same” such is the case of War in 21st Century. Appreciate this admission from one of our Nations own.

If you have read Ghadafi’s Green Book you will too see a lot of the same points being brought fore

[Colton Harding · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Simple, short, and straight to the point. This is a great short read on how war is a money making machine.

[Benjamin J West · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wish this was a part of academia in public school.

[Ray Gilbert · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Speaks to truth. Facts, impacts on the human (soldier) face versus profiteers.