Further Reading
DARPA Documents
The following DARPA reports provide good summaries of the agency’s mission, philosophy, and programs at different points in time:
DARPA. (2015). Breakthrough Technologies for National Security. Arlington, VA: Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/FOID/Reading%20Room/DARPA/15-F-1407_BREAKTHROUGH_TECHNOLOGIES_MAR_2015-DARPA.pdf
DARPA. (2013). Driving Technological Surprise: DARPA’s Mission in a Changing World. Arlington, VA: Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, https://defenseinnovationmarketplace.dtic.mil/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/DARPAStrategicPlan.pdf
DARPA. (2005). DARPA—Bridging the Gap, Powered by Ideas. Arlington, VA: Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf&AD=ADA433949
General Histories of DARPA
Barber Associates, R. (1975). The Advanced Research Projects Agency, 1958–1974. Report prepared for the Advanced Projects Research Agency. Springfield, VA: Defense Technical Information Center.
Van Atta, R., Deitchman, S., and Reed, S. (1990). DARPA Technical Accomplishments. Volume I. Alexandria, VA: Institute for Defense Analyses, https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a239925.pdf
Van Atta, R., Deitchman, S., and Reed, R. (1991). DARPA Technical Accomplishments. Volume II. Alexandria, VA: Institute for Defense Analyses, https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a241725.pdf
Van Atta, R., Deitchman, S., and Reed, S. (1991). DARPA Technical Accomplishments. Volume III. Alexandria, VA: Institute for Defense Analyses, https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a241680.pdf
Van Atta, R., Lippitz, M., et al. (2003). Transformation and Transition, DARPA’s Role in Fostering a Revolution in Military Affairs. Volume 1. Alexandria, VA: Institute for Defense Analyses, https://doi.org/10.21236/ada422835, https://fas.org/irp/agency/dod/idarma.pdf
Weinberger, S. (2017). The Imagineers of War: The Untold Story of DARPA, The Pentagon Agency That Changed the World. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf.
Histories of DARPA’s Contributions to Information Technology
Several excellent books describe ARPA’s early and very pivotal contributions to computing and computing networking, including its role in the creation of the ARPANET and Internet Protocol. These books also stress how ARPA/DARPA both drew on the overall U.S. technical community and, in turn, contributed to that community:
Flamm, K. (1988). Creating the Computer: Government, Industry, and High Technology. Washington, DC: The Brookings Institute.
Hafner, K., and Lyon, M. (1996). Where Wizards Stay Up Late: The Origins of the Internet. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.
Segaller, S. (1998). Nerds 2.0.1: A Brief History of the Internet. New York, NY: TV Books.
Waldrop, M. M. (2001). The Dream Machine: J. C. R. Licklider and the Revolution that Made Computing Personal. New York, NY: Viking Press.