The Snowden Files: The Inside Story of the World's Most Wanted Man - Softcover

Harding, Luke

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1783351047 ISBN 13: 9781783351046

Publisher: Guardian Faber Publishing, 2016

Synopsis

Edward Snowden, a young computer genius working for America's National Security Agency, blew the whistle on the way this frighteningly powerful organisation uses new technology to spy on the entire planet. The consequences have shaken the leaders of nations worldwide. This is the inside story of Snowden's deeds and the journalists who faced down pressure from the US and UK governments to break a remarkable scoop. From the day he left his glamorous girlfriend in Hawaii, carrying a hard drive full of secrets, to the weeks of secret-spilling in Hong Kong and his battle for asylum, Snowden's story reads like a globe-trotting thriller.

About this title

Review:

"Reads like a le Carré novel crossed with something by Kafka. . . . A fast-paced, almost novelistic narrative. . . . [The book] gives readers . . . a succinct overview of the momentous events of the past year. . . . Leave[s] readers with an acute understanding of the serious issues involved."
--Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times

"[Snowden's] story is one of the most compelling in the history of American espionage. . . . The Snowden Files, by Luke Harding, a correspondent for the Guardian newspaper, which broke the initial Snowden story, is the first to assemble the sequence of events in a single volume. The book captures the drama of Snowden's operation in often-cinematic detail. . . . Harding has delivered a clearly written and captivating account of the Snowden leaks and their aftermath."
--The Washington Post

"Engaging and lucid. . . . A gripping read. . . . Harding is a gifted writer. . . . The strength of Harding's book is its ability to bring Snowden's story to life while elucidating the contours of a much larger set of issues. . . . In rendering the complicated comprehensible in an entertaining way, Harding's book provides an important public service."
--San Francisco Chronicle

"The Snowden Files, the first book on what British journalist Luke Harding calls 'the biggest intelligence leak in history, ' is a readable and thorough account. The narrative is rich in newsroom details, reflecting Harding's inside access as a correspondent for the London-based Guardian newspaper, which broke the story. . . . The writer deserves unqualified praise for fueling the debate on privacy that Snowden so hoped to ignite."
--Newsday

"A super-readable, thrillerish account of the events surrounding the reporting of the documents. . . . Harding has done an amazing--and speedy--job of assembling material from a wide variety of sources and turning it into an exciting account."
--The London Review of Books

"The Snowden Files is a one-stop shop, covering his formative years, the government jobs that would eventually give him access, and even the development of the data-gathering programs he exposed to the world. It's as impressive in its execution as it is infuriating to revisit how much government manipulation and duplicity was involved. (Harding does an equally thorough job explaining the role played by the UK's version of the NSA--the GCHQ--and their appallingly thuggish actions as the news stories broke.) . . . Harding is unflinchingly honest. . . . [He] ask[s] hard questions about the consequences of Snowden's actions. While Harding is a Snowden supporter, he's hardly a blind one."
--San Francisco Book Review

"A newsworthy, must-read book about what prompted Edward Snowden to blow the whistle on his former employer, the National Security Agency, and what likely awaits him for having done so. . . . Whether you view Snowden's act as patriotic or treasonous, this fast-paced, densely detailed book is the narrative of first resort."
--Kirkus Reviews (starred)

"Engaging. . . . Harding's well-researched and compelling book is highly recommended."
--Library Journal

"Recounts the incredible story of how Snowden becomes angry about the abuses he says he witnessed inside the system, resolves to pull off a stunning electronic heist by downloading the NSA's and its partners' most sensitive files, and gives them to journalists he has persuaded to meet him in Hong Kong. Harding captures nicely the moment when The Guardian pushes the button on its first Snowden story, an intense, adrenaline-filled cocktail of high-minded journalistic zeal and the sheer thrill of publishing sensitive information."
--Financial Times

Book Description:

In The Snowden Files, Luke Harding tells the story of Edward Snowden and the individuals behind the biggest leak in history.

About this edition

• Publisher: Guardian Faber Publishing
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 1783351047
• ISBN 13: 9781783351046
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 384