I Could Tell You But Then You Would Have to Be Destroyed By Me: Emblems from the Pentagon's Black World
by:
Trevor Paglen (author)
Updated with New Information and Additional Patches They’re on the shoulders of all military personnel: patches showing what a soldier’s unit does. But what if that’s top secret? “A glimpse of [the Pentagon’s] dark world through a revealing lens—patches—the kind worn on military uniforms. ....
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Updated with New Information and Additional Patches They’re on the shoulders of all military personnel: patches showing what a soldier’s unit does. But what if that’s top secret? “A glimpse of [the Pentagon’s] dark world through a revealing lens—patches—the kind worn on military uniforms. . . The book offers not only clues into the nature of the secret programs, but also a glimpse of zealous male bonding among the presumed elite of the military-industrial complex. The patches often feel like fraternity pranks gone ballistic.” —William Broad, The New York Times I COULD TELL YOU. . . is a bestselling collection of more than seventy military patches representing secret government projects. Here author/photographer/investigator Trevor Paglen explores classified weapons projects and intelligence operations by scrutinizing their own imagery and jargon, disclosing new facts about important military units, which are here known by peculiar names (“Goat Suckers,” “Grim Reapers,” “Tastes Like Chicken”) and illustrated with occult symbols and ridiculous cartoons. The precisely photographed patches—worn by military personnel working on classified missions, such as those at the legendary Area 51—reveal much about a strange and eerie world about which little was previously known. “A fresh approach to secret government.” —Steven Aftergood, The Federation of American Scientists “An impressive collection.” —Justin Rood, ABC News “A fascinating set of shoulder patches.” —Stephen Colbert, The Colbert Report “I was fascinated... [Paglen] has assembled about 40 colorful patch insignia from secret, military ‘black’ programs that are hardly ever discussed in public. He has plenty of regalia from the real denizens of Area 51.” —Alex Beam, The Boston Globe
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Format: paperback
ISBN:
9781935554141 (193555414X)
ASIN: 193555414X
Publish date: October 25th 2010
Publisher: Melville House
Pages no: 160
Edition language: English
Category:
Non Fiction,
History,
Art,
War,
Military,
Politics,
Spy Thriller,
Espionage,
Military History,
Design,
Photography
This was an interesting book. Most of the patches had the kind of logos you would expect, apex predators and references to violence but some actually had cute animals (those were generally the patches for support for black ops). I still find the idea that black ops have patches somewhat problemati...
I have just catalogued this book for my library. But my brain is still in processing mode, because ... 1. I marvel again and again that there seems to be no subject too peculiar to publish a book on.2. I immediately thought of Alex and of Lila's brother in Hunting Lila?