Book description
The true story of the leaking of the Pentagon Papers, the event which inspired Steven Spielberg's feature film The Post
In 1971 former Cold War hard-liner Daniel Ellsberg made history by releasing the Pentagon Papers - a 7,000-page top-secret study of U.S. decision-making in Vietnam - to the New YorkâŠ
Why read it?
2 authors picked Secrets as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
A memoir that charts Ellsbergâs journey from committed Cold Warrior to icon of the peace movement. What is so captivating about this account is Ellsbergâs willingness to sacrifice a booming career and his place within the inner sanctum of Washington, DC power, in the service of truth through the publication of the Pentagon Papers.
The story of his moral awakening is moving and compels readers to consider how anyone with even limited power can use their position to act in immoral situations, with the corollary that inaction and silence are often complicity.
From Aurélie's list on the life and times of Daniel Ellsberg.
Arguably the most famous national security whistleblower in U.S. history, Daniel Ellsberg became a household name for releasing the Pentagon Papers, a top-secret military study of the Vietnam War, in 1971. Secrets is a fascinating account of how a quintessential Washington insider became the archetypal outsider and, as a result, faced the prospect of decades in prison for passing national security information to the press in the public interest. Ellsbergâs story reveals how the decision to âblow the whistleâ is often long and fraught, while knowing the wrath of the state that awaits. A series of plot twists gives aâŠ
From Hannah's list on U.S. national security culture and the exposure of secrets.
If you love Secrets...
These Blue Mountains
A moving story of love, betrayal, and the enduring power of hope in the face of darkness.
German pianist Hedda Schlagel's world collapsed when her fiancĂ©, Fritz, vanished after being sent to an enemy alien camp in the United States during the Great War. Fifteen years later, in 1932, HeddaâŠ
Want books like Secrets?
Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Secrets.
Share your top 3 reads of 2025!
And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.
1,340
readers submitted
so far, will you?
đ If you like Secrets, you might also like...
Foxfire in the Snow
It's a time of change, between magic and alchemy.
Born the heir of a master woodcutter in a queendom defined by guilds and matrilineal inheritance, nonbinary Sorin canât quite seem to find their place. At seventeen, an opportunity to attend an alchemical guild fair and secure an apprenticeship with theâŠ
The Main Gate
Dr. Elise Marquette has spent years burying the pastâuntil the past refuses to stay buried.
Hired to join Earthâs first interstellar contact team, she hopes the vastness of space will finally offer distance from the ghosts of war and the wounds left by a mother who never let her beâŠ
