Eyes in the Sky

The Secret Rise of Gorgon Stare and How It Will Watch Us All

By: Arthur Holland Michel

Narrated by: L.J. Ganser

The fascinating history and unnerving future of high-tech aerial surveillance, from its secret military origins to its growing use on American citizens.

Eyes in the Sky is the authoritative account of how the Pentagon secretly developed a godlike surveillance system for monitoring America's enemies overseas, and how it is now being used to watch us in our own backyards. Whereas a regular aerial camera can only capture a small patch of ground at any given time, this system - and its most powerful iteration, Gorgon Stare - allow operators to track thousands of moving targets at once, both forwards and backwards in time, across whole city-sized areas. When fused with big-data analysis techniques, this network can be used to watch everything simultaneously, and perhaps even predict attacks before they happen.

In battle, Gorgon Stare and other systems like it have saved countless lives, but when this technology is deployed over American cities - as it already has been, extensively and largely in secret - it has the potential to become the most nightmarishly powerful visual surveillance system ever built. While it may well solve serious crimes and even help ease the traffic along your morning commute, it could also enable far more sinister and dangerous intrusions into our lives.

©2019 Arthur Holland (P)2019 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Incredible

It reads like a hybrid between James Bamford and Annie Jacobsen.

The narrator is fantastic.

The book is a one sit listen: it definitely delves into the social and legal aspects of surveillance, but it is largely based on the technological aspects of how it’s done...and it’s jaw dropping!

Looking forward to your next book dawg!

Excellent Read! I learned a lot!

I was a bit concerned that the author would be biased one way or the other, regarding mass video surveillance. However, it was a topic that interested me and wanted to know more about it. I finished the book in three days. The author does have some photos and various notes in the printed copy, which were helpful. I prefer both the hard copy and the audio book.

I wish to state that the author (Arthur Holland Michel) did an EXCELLENT job! This is a highly charged topic. He provides a balanced view of the subject. He concludes with some great suggestions on state and national policy. I could only hope that many law makers would take the time to read the book. However, they probably won't.

The story is thoroughly researched. Michel is a great writer. The narrator (L.J. Ganser) is very talented. His voice is so familiar. It seems like I have heard him before. He did a great job as well.

I read and listen to a lot of books. I often don't take the time to write a review. Simply said, I had to for this one. This is a must read for those that are interested in how mass surveillance WILL affect our lives. It can be good and it can be bad. But it is up to law makers to stay ahead of the technology and pass thoughtful and thorough legislation to insure that it becomes a good tool and not used in an adversarial way toward citizens.

What a fine job, Arthur, Keep writing, and I will buy your next book. I like how you think. and I like how you research and tell a good story, This is one that needed to be told!

An enjoyable and entertaining awareness elevation.

This audio book was an enjoyable and entertaining awareness elevation in the area of surveillance. I Had no idea Wide area motion imagery (WAMI) What's so prevalent and yet so silent. I look forward to the advancement of this technology and the matching evolution of our society! This was a wonderful book to read after finishing "Blind Man's Bluff." I would recommend this book to family, friends, and even strangers.

interesting

I wrote the user's manual for Constant Hawk in 2008 for MIT Lincoln Laboratory. I should've put my name on it.

Quite interesting

The book pulls several sources together that I have read across multiple books and ties it all together. Interesting for sure.

Great story. Everyone should listen

Very detail and engaging story. Blew my mind.
He did use a lot of jargon that could get confusing at times if you’re not familiar with the terminology.