I'd heard Rachel Maddow promoting this book here and there, but I think what convinced me to actually buy & listen was when she explained that she hadn't thought, "I want to write a book," then searched about for a subject. She'd had an argument that she wanted to make, and because it was a complex, multi-part argument that brought together a lot of history, she needed to make it in a book.

The subject of DRIFT is pretty well described by the title. She talks about strategies the White House has developed that make it possible to wage war without alarming the American public - things like getting rid of the draft, or contracting out military work to third parties - and, at times, without having to alert or seek approval from the Congress.

Her basic point is that it shouldn't be easy to declare war. That the roadblocks preventing the president from declaring war are essential to the health of the country, though they surely have seemed like nuisances to every President who's ever run up against them. And she talks about the cost of letting the military grow and expand unchecked, in financial terms (it's stupidly expensive) and practical ones, too (the chapter on neglected nuclear warheads was pretty horrifying).

I like Rachel Maddow in general & one of the perks of the audiobook is that she reads it. Her speaking voice matches her authorial voice and it was a pleasure to listen to her read. Her argument is compelling & she's not partisan in her discussion - she lambasts Clinton and Obama along with Reagan and the Bushes (though Reagan really gets the worst of it). She highlights political events that I've always been aware of in vague ways (like the Iran-Contra affair, or the invasion of Granada), explains what was going on and knits them into a tight, overarching narrative.

DRIFT is a worthwhile book. Highly recommended.