Declared the 'sound of freedom' by the US military, the noise of military jets flying at great speed is regarded as a strategic show of force and national pride. For those living on the aural borders of domestic and overseas US airbases, however, the roar of aircraft noise can be a source of physical stress, social friction and political aggravation.

Bringing together a history of cultural imaginings of aircraft noise with a detailed case study from the US military bases in Okinawa, Japan, this ethnography addresses how the sonic crescendo created by military aircraft can be heard in such radically divergent ways. Moving beyond quantifiable acoustic measurements, Cox shows how this noise reverberates through bodies, homes, places of work and the environment. Using creative methods of sound recording, this study suggests how noise is an energy of the environment, with listening a fundamental part of our sense of place.

Supported by sound recordings, noise maps and diagrams, this study engages critically with scientific appraisals of noise and explores sound as a total sensory experience, with far-reaching political effects.