How Safe Are We? cover art

How Safe Are We?

Homeland Security Since 9/11

Preview
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free
Offer ends 29 January 2026 at 11:59PM GMT.
Prime members: New to Audible? Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Just £0.99/mo for your first 3 months of Audible.
1 bestseller or new release per month—yours to keep.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, podcasts, and Originals.
Auto-renews at £8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

How Safe Are We?

By: Janet Napolitano, Karen Breslau
Narrated by: Caitlin Davies, Janet Napolitano
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free

£8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly. Offer ends 29 January 2026 at 11:59PM GMT.

£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

LIMITED TIME OFFER | £0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Premium Plus auto-renews at £8.99/mo after 3 months. Terms apply.

About this listen

Former Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano offers an insightful analysis of American security at home and a prescription for the future.

Created in the wake of the greatest tragedy to occur on U.S. soil, the Department of Homeland Security was handed a sweeping mandate: make America safer. It would encompass intelligence and law enforcement agencies, oversee natural disasters, commercial aviation, border security and ICE, cybersecurity, and terrorism, among others. From 2009-2013, Janet Napolitano ran DHS and oversaw 22 federal agencies with 230,000 employees.

In How Safe Are We?, Napolitano pulls no punches, reckoning with the critics who call it Frankenstein's Monster of government run amok, and taking a hard look at the challenges we'll be facing in the future. But ultimately, she argues that the huge, multifaceted department is vital to our nation's security. An agency that's part terrorism prevention, part intelligence agency, part law enforcement, public safety, disaster recovery make for an odd combination the protocol-driven, tradition-bound Washington D.C. culture. But, she says, it has made us more safe, secure, and resilient.

Napolitano not only answers the titular question, but grapples with how these security efforts have changed our country and society. Where are the failures that leave us vulnerable and what has our 1 trillion dollar investment yielded over the last 15 years? And why haven't we had another massive terrorist attack in the U.S. since September 11th, 2001? In our current political climate, where Donald Trump has politicized nearly every aspect of the department, Napolitano's clarifying, bold vision is needed now more than ever.
Americas Freedom & Security Politics & Government United States War & Crisis Women in Politics National Security Iran Thought-Provoking Government

Listeners also enjoyed...

The Invisible Soldiers cover art
Intelligence Matters cover art
The Age of Sacred Terror cover art
Playing to the Edge cover art
Protecting the President cover art
Clean House cover art
Against Security cover art
We Want to Negotiate cover art
The Accidental Admiral cover art
A Sacred Oath cover art
Big Israel cover art
Nemesis cover art
Worthy Fights cover art
Top Secret America cover art
The Hacked World Order cover art
Inside the Five-Sided Box cover art

Critic reviews

"A measured, thoughtful analysis... A clear-eyed, rational examination of a government office that plays a key and often misunderstood role in the lives of all Americans."—KirkusReviews
"Janet Napolitano has distilled a lifetime of service in How Safe Are We?. Her thinking is clear and her vision for the future is expansive. The message of this book could not be more timely."—George Stephanopoulos
"A smart, strategic, and impactful book on the security of America. The compelling narrative weaves together Janet's incredible life experience with her insightful commentary on some of the biggest issues we face today-from cybersecurity to immigration, to natural disasters. And this book is a must-read for anyone who wants to make sense of which threats are real and which are dangerous political theater."—Kathleen Sebelius, Former Secretary of Health and Human Services
"Janet Napolitano provides a knowledgeable report card on what works well in securing our nation and what still needs improvement. Her fact-based and practical observations should be welcomed by those looking for clear assessments of how safe we really are."—Michael Chertoff, Secretary of Homeland Security, 2005-2009
"Not only is Napolitano's account of her time as head of DHS funny and blunt, her smart take on creating 'a safe, secure and resilient nation' is steeped in vast experience and rich insider detail. This terrific book should be required reading for everyone who works in - or cares about - keeping our homeland secure."—Jennifer Granholm, former Governor of Michigan
"This succinct and insightful book should be widely read-whether by the expert practitioner or average citizen. It is an enlightening report card on the whole range of national challenges which come under the broad rubric of homeland security, including critiques of the current administration's approach. Janet Napolitano knows what she's talking about; unlike so many pontificators on this subject today, she's lived the issue. She is the consummate public servant and she has contributed to her distinguished record of accomplishment with this superb volume."—James Clapper, former Director of National Intelligence
"A compelling account of Homeland Security in the 21st Century-where we were, where we are, and where we need to go. Napolitano's emphasis on cyber and natural disasters highlight threats that are still not being adequately addressed at the national level. This book offers common sense approaches to these threats and others that continue to rapidly evolve."—William Bratton, former New York City Police Commissioner and former Chief of the LAPD



"This valuable work should appeal to readers with cool heads about national security, who will appreciate Napolitano's suggestion to evaluate risk based on data rather than rhetoric."

Publishers Weekly
No reviews yet