About the Author

James Carroll was raised in Washington, D.C., and ordained to the Catholic priesthood in 1969. He served as a chaplain at Boston University from 1969 to 1974, then left the priesthood to become a writer. A distinguished scholar-
in-residence at Suffolk University, he is a columnist for the Boston Globe and a
regular contributor to the Daily Beast.

His critically admired books include Practicing Catholic, the National Book Award-winning An American Requiem, House of War, which won the first PEN/Galbraith Award, and the New York Times bestseller Constantine's Sword, now an acclaimed documentary.

Reviews

"A prodigious historical synthesis, with pressing importance for our times, and also a deeply engaging story." -- Tracy Kidder, author of My Detachment: A Memoir"House of War is a masterful achievement...[Carroll's] prose is elegant, his viewpoint bold." -- Howard Zinn, author of The People's History of the United States"[Carroll has] the historical depth, elegance of style, and moral complexity to have taken the full measure of [the Pentagon]." -- Bill McKibben, author of The End of Nature"One cannot understand the impact of the Pentagon on US foreign policy...without reading James Carroll's House of War." -- Lawrence Korb, former Undersecretary of Defense under Ronald Reagan[An] unequivocally mesmerizing account. . . . Certain to be one of the most talked-about nonfiction books of the season." -- Booklist, ALA"[James Carroll] brings to shocking life the truth of Randolph Bourne's dictum: 'War is the health of the state.'" -- Garry Wills, author of Nixon Agonistes and Henry Adams and the Making of America"Altogether excellent, and essential for understanding the birth of America's empire." -- Kirkus Reviews, Starred

Carroll would make a perfect NPR morning-show host, his sensitive, low, smooth voice the perfect background noise for sleepy yuppies getting ready for work. Reading his own book, a study of the Pentagon's outsize influence on postwar American life, Carroll is soothing and inoffensive. His reading is so uninflected that it veers on indistinctness or narcolepsy. Early-morning drivers should probably avoid listening to Carroll, for fear of being lulled into sleep. And yet, careful attention reveals a fine, subtle reading. Carroll lets his words speak for themselves, avoiding underlining or emphasizing specific words or phrases in his text. For some readers, that might be a recipe for being driven crazy; for others, it will allow for an uninfluenced reading of the text, whereby readers can listen as they might read-picking out their own points of emphasis. A little more emotion, though, probably wouldn't have hurt. Simultaneous release with the Houghton Mifflin hardcover (Reviews, Apr. 10). (May) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

"A prodigious historical synthesis, with pressing importance for our times, and also a deeply engaging story." -- Tracy Kidder, author of My Detachment: A Memoir"House of War is a masterful achievement...[Carroll's] prose is elegant, his viewpoint bold." -- Howard Zinn, author of The People's History of the United States"[Carroll has] the historical depth, elegance of style, and moral complexity to have taken the full measure of [the Pentagon]." -- Bill McKibben, author of The End of Nature"One cannot understand the impact of the Pentagon on US foreign policy...without reading James Carroll's House of War." -- Lawrence Korb, former Undersecretary of Defense under Ronald Reagan[An] unequivocally mesmerizing account. . . . Certain to be one of the most talked-about nonfiction books of the season." -- Booklist, ALA"[James Carroll] brings to shocking life the truth of Randolph Bourne's dictum: 'War is the health of the state.'" -- Garry Wills, author of Nixon Agonistes and Henry Adams and the Making of America"Altogether excellent, and essential for understanding the birth of America's empire." -- Kirkus Reviews, Starred