Spoils of War

In this fascinating investigation of modern warfare, John Tirman asks why the United States currently exports more weapons than all other countries combined and questions the justification for this morally questionable exercise. Tracking the development of the Sikorsky assault helicopter and its use in connection with certain human rights disasters and political unrest, Tirman weaves together concurrent stories of Washington's power circles, US assembly lines, and the legacy of devastated Kurdish villages to trace the political, economic and social implications of the arms trade. Tirman's account is more than just an engaging story, it reveals the hypocrisy of government officials in covering up the truth and makes an argument for the breaking of US dependency on the arms trade and a call for the US to stop exporting weapons altogether. SPOILS OF WAR is an unforgettable story of intrigue, human-rights catastrophes and the folly and miscalculation of the military.