Papers on the War

by Daniel Ellsberg

This book is the second contribution Daniel Ellsberg made towards an understanding of the U. S. intervention in the Vietnam war. Ellsberg believed that the war needed both to be resisted and understood. His papers helped to define both U. S. policies and strategies.

Genres: Politics, History, Nonfiction, War, American History

309 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1972

About the author

Daniel Ellsberg was an American political activist and United States military analyst. While employed by the RAND Corporation, he precipitated a national political controversy in 1971 when he released the Pentagon Papers, a top-secret Pentagon study of U.S. government decision-making in relation to the Vietnam War, to The New York Times, The Washington Post, and other newspapers.

In January 1973, he was charged under the Espionage Act of 1917 along with other charges of theft and conspiracy, carrying a maximum sentence of 115 years. Because of governmental misconduct and illegal evidence-gathering, and his defense all charges were dismissed against Ellsberg in May 1973.

Reviews

[alana mcgrath · Rating 4 out of 5]

not 5 stars because not the most easiest thing to read almost 50 years following the decision, but still felt very impactful despite being told when the story of the vietnam war was incomplete