War is a Racket

Name: War is a Racket
Brand: Author's Republic
Availability: InStock
Author: Smedley D. Butler
ISBN: 9798295374234

Author: Smedley D. Butler

Narrator: Michael Smith

Unabridged: 1 hr 15 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Adultbrain Publishing

Published: 12/16/2025

Categories: Nonfiction, Philosophy

Synopsis

War Is a Racket is a classic short treatise by Major General Smedley D. Butler, one of the most decorated U.S. Marines in American history, turned outspoken critic of war. Drawing on his 34-year military career and firsthand experience in conflicts from the Caribbean to World War I, Butler delivers a powerful critique of how modern wars are driven not by noble ideals but by economic interests that profit from conflict. In this concise but thought-provoking audiobook, Butler argues that war has become a “racket” — a business that enriches corporations, bankers, and industrialists while ordinary citizens and soldiers bear the costs in blood, money, and loss. Through clear language and sharp insight, he explores why wars are fought, who makes the profits, and who pays the bills, and he even lays out practical steps to dismantle the war racket. This unflinching examination of war’s economic drivers remains strikingly relevant decades after its first publication in 1935, making it a compelling listen for anyone seeking to understand the forces behind global conflict.

Reviews

Goodreads review by The Conspiracy is Capitalism on November 25, 2024

50 must-read pages, especially for "American patriots". The Brilliant: --Read it online here. --I’m upgrading my rating because of this book's usefulness for specific audiences, i.e. soldiers/“support our troops” culture given the author’s military accolades (Major General of the Marine Corps, 2x Meda......more

Goodreads review by James on December 18, 2012

A scathing condemnation of the corporate-military complex by a quirky retired general who was one of the biggest legends and role models in the U.S. Marine Corps; Smedley Butler, nicknamed "Old Gimlet Eye," had a tattoo of the USMC emblem that covered his chest and was the only Marine officer to win......more

Goodreads review by Vannessa on April 28, 2017

War Is A Racket is an in your face exposé about the lies politicians tell American taxpayers to justify their bloodthirsty and psychopathic lust for war. Impressive quotes: I spent 33 years in the Marines, most of my time being a high-class muscle man for big business, for Wall Street and the bankers.......more

Goodreads review by H (trying to keep up with GR friends) Balikov on June 11, 2022

There are a lot of reasons given for warfare. Are there any good reasons for nations to be at war? I would think most of those “good” reasons have to do with defending what is already part of a nation. USA Marine Corps General Smedley Butler takes a different approach. In this brief essay, written la......more

Goodreads review by Edward on March 09, 2017

Such a simple and powerful and obvious statement. What's interesting about Smedley is that he's not against war in a general sense. He's against the kind of war that had become common in the early 20th century (which is the model for all wars now). To put it a different way: he was not against war, b......more