Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War

by Steve Sheinkin
Hennepin County Library hardcover 324 pages + notes, biblio, etc.
genre: non-fiction history

This was interesting in that it pulled together bits and pieces of what I knew about the Vietnam War, Watergate, etc. and made it much more clear in my mind. I wish I'd paid attention in history classes back in the 80s! It was not as interesting as I expected it to be, based on our discussion at Litwits earlier in August. Still, I'm glad I read it.

I love the part when Senator Mike Gravel  "called a special session of his Sub-committee on Buildings and Grounds - just about the least prestigious subcommittee in the Senate. He opened the session with a crack of his gavel at nine forty-five. He was the only senator in the room." He started reading the Pentagon Papers, with a stenographer taking it down. The description of this event, particularly when Gravel wept at "reading a graphic description of combat wounds suffered by American soldiers." At the end of his session, "Senator Gravel asked for the unanimous consent of all sub-committee members to insert the rest of the Pentagon Papers into the public record. There were no objections."

The book raises questions about the balance between "state secrets" and the peoples' "right to know." The court cases raised questions about free speech, the press, and so much more. I'm glad Daniel Ellsberg didn't go to prison for what he did. Now I feel as though I should probably read more about Snowden and what he did . . .