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Secrecy Wars: National Security, Privacy, and the Public's Right to Know

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One of the great ironies of American history is how a country built on the principle of freedom can have so many more secrets and ways of keeping secrets than just about any other country that has ever existed. This is the likely conclusion of any reader of this book. From political assasinations, covert military attacks, illegal trade deals, and exposing citizens to nuclear fallout and toxic chemicals, this book gives a first-hand history of cover-ups and secrets that the US government has aided in throughout modern history. The authors of the book are experts on this topic due to their relentless efforts in aiding those trying to expose these secrets. The book's subject matter is great, and the authors have done their homework, but the book is not the best written and could have benefitted from a better editorial process.

National security, privacy, and the public's right to knowledge are the major issues covered in Secrecy Wars, a view of the US government's secrecy system and how the Freedom of Information Act operates. Details from formerly classified files blend with surveys of government resistance to releasing public information to make for a thought-provoking presentation which is a highly recommended addition to American Political Science and Military Studies supplemental reading lists and academic reference collections.