Blank Spots on the Map: The Dark Geography of the Pentagon's Secret World

The U.S. National Security Act of 1947 established a national security structure which was felt to be necessary to protect the U.S. from what was perceived as serious threats from foreign and domestic enemies. Almost immediately a parallel structure, invisible to public, was created as a compliment to the public national security establishment. This parallel structure is what this absolutely fascinating book refers to as the "black world."According to Trevor Paglen, a geographer by trade, this black world can bounded by adroit compilation of blank areas on official maps, deleted passages from official documents, and acute observations of restricted areas and activities. Well he has certainly done a very thorough job of it. He begins with the secret and unacknowledged government test sites scattered throughout the country, but especially in the South Western U.S. that actually employ an astonishingly large number military and civilian workers yet still are literarily off the map. He subsequently tackles such arcane topics as black operations, black funding, and a host of other unacknowledged, often denied, U.S. activities including questionable and even illegal programs and operations. Perhaps the most discouraging information he provides is how easily it is for officials of the black world to hoodwink congress and the media, both nominal guards against government excesses. Certainly the most astonishing thing he reveals is that the black world in total may employ as many as 4 million military and civilians who carry secret or higher clearances. The fact that this many people can be involved and yet so many black activities remain completely off the gird is pretty scary in itself.This reviewer has tremendous respect for the academic discipline of geography. It combines some of the best features of social and physical science and perhaps is the most effective system for understanding the phenomenon of Globalization. Some 60 years ago one branch of geography that was called "cultural geography" sought to describe the relationship between societies and the environment in which they lived. The term may no longer be used, but Paglen is a cultural geographer in the best sense of the term.

Exhaustively documented,thoroughly researched, Trevor Paglen's almost obsessively detailed analysis of "dark ops" and the "black" world of supersecrecy is a surprisingly engaging page-turner. After learning that the appelation "classified" or "top secret" has been applied to literally millions of documents since the CIA and other intelligence agencies were formalized; that some four million individuals have security clearances to work on "classified" projects; that billions of dollars are spent each year to support and maintain "classified" or "dark" facilities - the reader finally must ask "Why?" What is the purpose of all this secrecy? What does the United States government deem so critical, so necessary, to its defense, or continued existence, that it must devote so much of its political, scientific and engineering capital to support a "shadow world?" Paglen suggests that Eisenhower wasn't just making a cautionary note about the "military/industrial" complex and its influence on domestic and governmental affairs. He was revealing a truth that was being ardently concealed from the American public: America as we have known it has been transformed into a permanently armed state, with an economy driven by weapons development and deployment, whose very existence depends on a perpetual state of war, somewhere in the world. So the next question then, is: Who is the enemy? A very compelling read, and not just for conspiracy buffs.

I am still reading, and studying, this book, but I am extremely impressed with Trevor Paglen's reasoning and the inspired way he manages to see around obstacles to normal investigations. I had expected another vague "conspiracy" type of book, but Paglen proves numerous details and facts, to support his theories.He does a great job of coaxing informative details out of the hidden covert world. (The only complaint I have with this book is that he uses the term "black" so often. I would prefer he used other terms, such as "covert" or "hidden," to break up the repetitiveness.) But, he reasons out a good way to approach what appears to be an insurmountable wall of secrecy and find a way over or around it. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle would be impressed, I think, with Paglen's use of logic.Also, I admire the way that this author supports the American ideals of openness and accountability to the people of the United States, which the government too often seems to want to ignore, push aside or suppress.Altogether, I find this an educational and inspirational search for unraveling the truth from the many-layered onion of subterfuge and deception foisted on us, in the alleged interest of "national security."Bravo, Mr. Paglen! I look forward to purchasing your other works.

The perspective Paglen has in aggregating and distilling information over a sixty year period makes Blank Spots on the Map compelling. Yes, much of the information is available elsewhere as journalists and concerned citizens attempt to ferret out and disseminate information on places, activities, and people the government legally claims don't exist. But Blank Spots gives the account as a geographer. The paradox is that he is using boundaries as a broad framework in explaining the government's dark and deep geopolitical, national defense, surveillance activities supporting national and geopolitical ambitions which know no boundaries - legal, geographical, Constitutional, or otherwise.

This insightful book not only describes hidden geography but puts an investigative slant on some of the activities we hear little about. Very readable.

Bought for a friend. Well received

Great if like me you enjoy a conspiracy!

This book reveals details about the dark underworld of the CIA, NSA and other private government funded organizations. Really makes you think deep and hard about what the government is doing with all of our billions of dollars spent on the secret warfare. This is a great read to get a basic understanding into the secret world of the Pentagon and it's deceptive ways to fool the american population through lies and false companies and long long paper trails to confuse the average folk.

This book didn't really reveal anything new. However anyone coming to the subject anew Leila find it is a fairly good book as an introduction to the subject