Oh well, maybe next time
Last February, I found out that my book Surveillance Valley was shortlisted for “British Army Military Book of the Year.” The results are finally in, and…I’m dead last on the list.
I wasn’t expecting much. To be honest, I was surprised that my book was even considered. It’s not the kind of book that wins an official military award. It’s too radical, too critical of power. I remember the Guardian panned it in a weird xenophobic neocon review of the UK edition that called attention to my “Russian extraction” and then called me out for not criticizing communist China. China? Clearly my book was a part of some kind of Russo-Chinese mongoloid disinformation alliance to undermine trust in western democracies!
My “problematic” ethnicity aside, I guess I can see why my book would be interesting to military types in the UK. It really is the only book that looks honestly at the military and counterinsurgency origins of the Internet, all while showing that the global success of this technology is 100% intertwined with the growth and dominance of America’s post-WWII empire. Even if critical of power and empire, the history that I uncovered in my book is clearly of some value to military brains — after all, the UK’s been involved in all sorts of Internet counterinsurgency business. But, judging from my ranking in this contest, I guess not too much value.
Anyone read the other books on the list by my, eh, betters?
—Yasha Levine
Not to worry...wrong target audience 😀 ..the winning book sounds sooooo boring!
Having said that, I went and had a look at other books written by the winner...the one about Britain sounds fascinating!
__________
"Where does power lie in Britain today? Is our system of government still fit for purpose? A revelatory guide from the esteemed expert in British government and politics
The British system has been radically transformed in recent decades, far more than most of us realize. As acclaimed political scientist and bestselling author Anthony King shows, this transformation lies at the heart of British politics today. Imagining - or pretending - that the British political system and Britain's place in the world have not greatly changed, our political leaders consistently promise more than they can perform."
From a review:
"...Reading this book, I can't tell what the author's own political allegiances are. He takes a neutral stance and tells us about the system. I liked this. Often, a bias or agenda seeps into political writing and makes it hard to trust the information given. This was a book set out to outline the structure of the British political system and it's shortcomings.
The chapter on the press was particularly scary. In a world of social media, I sometimes forget how easy it is to dismiss the malign influence that the tabloids still have. It was presented in a way here in a way that really brought the issue to life..."
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25242071-who-governs-britain