"War Is a Racket" is written by the most decorated American soldier in U.S. history, Major General Smedley D. Butler. Butler frankly discusses from his experience as a career military officer how business interests commercially start and benefit from warfare. After his retirement from the Marine Corps, Gen. Butler made a nationwide tour giving his speech "War is a Racket." The speech was so well-received that he wrote a longer version as this book with the same title which helped popularize his message.

Lowell Thomas praised Butler's "moral as well as physical courage" in telling the truth about war profiteering. This message has never been more relevant, as we see the war racket in full swing in recent history like never before in endless perpetual wars, i.e. Iraq and Afghanistan, and elsewhere.