In this seminal work, Paul Virilio conducts a sweeping analysis of perception in an age of astounding visual impact. Through a technical history of weaponry, photography, and cinematography, an account of key war strategists and movie directors, and a narrative that places pin-up girls alongside satellite feeds and ranges from Hollywood to Hitler s bunker, Virilio shows how military “ways of seeing” have transformed the world as we know it.

“One of the most original thinkers of our time.” — Libération

“Anyone who has ever secretly wished that Foucault would get to the point will relish the sudden hooks and jabs of revealed sense.” — New York Times

Paul Virilio studied philosophy at the Sorbonne and trained as an artist in stained glass. In 1975, he was made director of the Ecole Speciale d’Architecture in Paris. His many books include The Information Bomb and Open Sky, both from Verso.