Whistleblower's Autobiography

Author: Daniel Ellsberg
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-08-01
Features: A true political thriller and life story, a journey from ignorance to awakening, from blind obedience to resistance. The secrecy system is the greatest threat to democracy. It conceals the responsibilities that government officials should bear. If the people are abandoned and legislative power is used to attack courageous anti-war figures like Daniel Ellsberg, preventing them from disclosing the truth, then our democratic society will continue to be a puppet of these secret documents. Ellsberg's book reveals the unethical behavior of past U.S. government leaders, but to this day, there has been little change in this regard. The secrecy system still eats away at the U.S. government and the public sphere. —Mike Gravel, U.S. Senator
For 30 years, we have been waiting for Daniel Ellsberg to tell his extraordinary story. Now it seems our wait was worth it. As an insider, after witnessing the U.S. slaughter in Vietnam, he discovered the deception of the U.S. government at the highest level, their hypocrisy and insincerity, and told us all of this with a sense of sorrow. Ellsberg's political career has been full of ups and downs, marked by a life. The Whistleblower's Memoir teaches readers a profound and thought-provoking life lesson about politics and morality, yet it remains inspiring. If our nation can learn from the past, we can embrace a brighter future. —Howard Zinn, author of A People's History of the United States
He is a symbol of the promises and deceptions, hopes and pains of the 1970s in the U.S. He is a mirror, reflecting 50 years of political changes in the U.S. through his life experiences. Daniel Ellsberg was once a prominent advocate of Cold War policies. During the Vietnam War, he witnessed the lies, deception, and betrayal of morality and conscience by U.S. officials, their blind obedience and to the president, and his thinking underwent a dramatic transformation. He shifted from a supporter of the Vietnam War to a staunch anti-war activist. To end the Vietnam War, he made various efforts, but with little success. In the end, he resolved to risk life imprisonment by secretly photocopying over 7,000 pages of U.S. classified documents on Vietnam policy and handing them over to several newspapers for publication. This is the famous Pentagon Papers. The publication of the Pentagon Papers in The New York Times and The Washington Post triggered a series of events, including a landmark decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, the arrest and trial of Ellsberg and his companion Anthony Russo, and the subsequent Watergate scandal. In the end, his actions not only ended Nixon's second term but also brought an end to the Vietnam War.
In his memoir, Ellsberg focuses on his inner journey, explaining how his thoughts and understanding evolved step by step as he uncovered the truth. The Whistleblower's Memoir is the autobiography of a dedicated and fearless fighter; it is the disclosure of the corruption within the U.S. government by an insider; it is a deep reflection on the meaning of conscience and morality in a government obsessed with secrecy. At the same time, as an informed and deeply involved participant, Ellsberg, from the perspective of an American, provides us with unprecedented firsthand material on the process of the Vietnam War, U.S. war policies, and the inner workings of the government.