Episode · Lex Fridman Podcast · 2025-06-26
Books mentioned on #473 – Iran War Debate: Nuclear Weapons, Trump, Peace, Power & the Middle East
Debate on Iran war between Scott Horton and Mark Dubowitz. Scott Horton is the author and director of the Libertarian Institute, editorial director of Antiwar.
Scott Horton recommended Perfect soldiers by Terry McDermott and The Looming Tower by Lawrence Wright, and discussed By way of deception by Claire Hoy and others, Angler by Barton Gellman, Manufactured Crisis by Gareth Porter, and The black banners by Ali H. Soufan.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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By way of deception
By way of deception by Claire Hoy and Victor Ostrovsky is a controversial memoir detailing covert operations and inner workings within the Israeli intelligence agency.
Discussed“Well that's almost always a reference to Beirut 1983, which you can read in the book "By Way of Deception," by Victor Ostrovsky, the former Mossad officer, that the Israelis knew that they were building that truck bomb to bomb the Marines with, and withheld that information from the United States”
Where to get it
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Angler
Discussed“That was reported originally by Stephen Clemens in the Washington Note, but it was later confirmed in "The New York Times," and by "The Washington Post," reporter Barton Gellman, in his book "Angler," on Dick Cheney.”
Where to get it
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Manufactured Crisis
Manufactured Crisis by Gareth Porter is a historical non-fiction work examining the geopolitical tensions surrounding Iranian nuclear ambitions and foreign policy interventions.
Discussed“Now in Gareth Porter's book "Manufactured Crisis," he shows that the major conclusion that the DIA had made”
Where to get it
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Perfect soldiers
Perfect soldiers by Terry McDermott is a non-fiction book that examines the lives and backgrounds of the September 11 hijackers.
Recommended“You can read "Perfect Soldiers," by Terry McDermott.”
Where to get it
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The Looming Tower
The Looming Tower by Lawrence Wright is a detailed non-fiction account tracing the origins of the war on terrorism, the rise of Islamic fundamentalism, and the events leading up to September 11.
Recommended“Or you could read "The Looming Tower," by Lawrence Wright”
Where to get it
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The black banners
Discussed“Ali Soufan you know, Ali Soufan, the former FBI agent, counter-terrorism agent, he wrote in his book "The Black Banners," that the Bin Ladenites said to Bin Laden, we don't understand why you're so angry at America.”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (3) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“And I show in my book "Enough Already." I have a solid dozen sources- -”
“He has a bunch of books "Peddling peril," "Iran's Perilous Pursuit of Nuclear Weapons." "Plutonium and highly enriched uranium 1996, " and so on.”
“He has a bunch of books "Peddling peril," "Iran's Perilous Pursuit of Nuclear Weapons." "Plutonium and highly enriched uranium 1996, " and so on.”