Annie Jacobsen has made a name for herself as a fearless investigative journalist, uncovering some of the most secretive operations in U.S. military and intelligence history. From the mysteries of Area 51 to the cutting-edge (and sometimes unsettling) work of DARPA, her books blend deep research with gripping storytelling, but which ones do readers love the most? In this post, we’ll rank Annie Jacobsen’s best books based on their Goodreads ratings. Whether you’re a longtime fan or new to her work, this list will help you decide which of her deep dives into government secrets is worth reading next.
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Annie Jacobsen’s 7 Best Books, Ranked in order by Goodreads Ratings
1. Nuclear War: A Scenario, by Annie Jacobsen
Published in 2024 by Dutton
Goodreads Rating: 4.39 / 5 | Nominee: Goodreads Choice Award (2024)
What if a nuclear missile were already inbound to the U.S.? Jacobsen lays out a chilling minute-by-minute breakdown of how global annihilation could unfold, based on interviews with missile commanders, scientists, and policymakers. With hair-trigger protocols and no room for error, this is the definitive deep dive into humanity’s greatest existential threat.
2. Surprise, Kill, Vanish: The Secret History Of CIA Paramilitary Armies, Operators, And Assassins, by Annie Jacobsen
Published in 2019 by Little, Brown and Company
Goodreads Rating: 4.32 / 5
What happens when diplomacy fails and war isn’t an option? The CIA’s shadowy paramilitary wing takes over. Jacobsen unveils the covert world of CIA-led assassinations, sabotage, and hostage rescues, all legally authorized by the U.S. president. Drawing on interviews with operatives and insiders, she exposes how America’s most secretive missions are executed, from Cold War-era plots to modern-day operations.
3. Operation Paperclip: The Secret Intelligence Program that Brought Nazi Scientists to America, by Annie Jacobsen
Published in 2014 by Little, Brown and Company
Goodreads Rating: 4.14 / 5
After WWII, the U.S. faced a moral dilemma: recruit Hitler’s top scientists, some accused of war crimes, to advance American technology. Jacobsen uncovers the shocking truth behind Operation Paperclip, the covert program that smuggled Nazi engineers into America to fuel the Cold War arms race and space program. Based on declassified files and insider accounts, this explosive history asks: Did the ends justify the war crimes?
4. First Platoon: A Story of Modern War in the Age of Identity Dominance, by Annie Jacobsen
Published in 2021 by Dutton
Goodreads Rating: 4.16 / 5
When a young Army platoon is sent to Afghanistan, their mission collides with the Pentagon’s secretive push to build the ultimate biometric surveillance system. Jacobsen reveals how soldiers became unwitting test subjects in a global experiment to track people through iris scans, fingerprints, and even gait recognition. Blending battlefield tragedy with investigative reporting, this book exposes the rise of a surveillance state where technology outpaces humanity.
5. The Pentagon’s Brain: An Uncensored History of DARPA, America’s Top-Secret Military Research Agency, by Annie Jacobsen
Published in 2015 by Little, Brown and Company
Goodreads Rating: 3.98 / 5
From stealth fighters to killer robots, meet DARPA – the Pentagon’s top secret R&D lab that has shaped modern warfare. Jacobsen pulls back the curtain on America’s most advanced (and controversial) military projects, revealing how this little-known agency birthed everything from the internet to autonomous weapons. Based on classified documents and insider accounts, this is the untold story of how science fiction becomes battlefield reality.
6. Phenomena: The Secret History of the U.S. Government’s Investigations into Extrasensory Perception and Psychokinesis, by Annie Jacobsen
Published in 2017 by Little, Brown and Company
Goodreads Rating: 3.94 / 5
The U.S. military once spent millions training psychics to locate hostages, predict threats, and spy on enemies. Jacobsen reveals the truth behind top-secret programs that employed ESP and psychokinesis for Cold War intelligence gathering. With never-before-seen documents and interviews with CIA psychics themselves, this book exposes how far the government went chasing paranormal warfare advantages.
7. Area 51: An Uncensored History of America’s Top Secret Military Base, by Annie Jacobsen
Published in 2011 by Little, Brown and Company
Goodreads Rating: 3.85 / 5
For decades, Area 51’s air-tight secrecy fueled wild rumors of alien encounters and fake moon landings. Jacobsen cuts through the conspiracy theories with firsthand accounts from the base’s own scientists, pilots, and engineers. The truth? A real-world battleground for cutting-edge spy planes, nuclear tests, and classified tech that shaped modern warfare. Sometimes reality beats sci-fi.
Annie Jacobsen’s books pull back the curtain on some of the most secretive operations in U.S. history—from CIA assassins to psychic spies, nuclear doomsday scenarios to the truth behind Area 51. Whether you’re drawn to military intrigue, cutting-edge science, or government conspiracies, her work proves that reality can be stranger than fiction.
Which of Jacobsen’s books will you read first? Drop your pick in the comments below or join the conversation on X: @Nonfictioned1
