Ellsberg, Daniel. Secrets: A Memoir of Vietnam and the Pentagon Papers.
New York: Viking, 2002. 498 pages.
In this autobiography, Daniel Ellsberg tells of his transition from
a Vietnam-policy insider to an antiwar activist. He went from Harvard to
become an economist at Rand, and by 1964 was a Pentagon policy wonk with all
the top clearances. Then it was off to Vietnam as a State Department advisor
and observer. Ellsberg was sufficiently gung-ho in Vietnam from 1965 to 1967,
that he went on combat patrols even when he didn't have to. By 1969 he was
at Rand again with his clearances, but less able than before to justify U.S.
policy in Vietnam. After getting to know some antiwar people, Ellsberg had
what might be described as a conversion experience. In 1971 he gave the
secret Pentagon Papers to various newspapers. At his trial in 1973, the
charges were dropped when it was revealed that Nixon's plumbers had gathered
evidence against him illegally. Since 1973, Ellsberg has been a consistent
and important critic of U.S. foreign policy in his speeches and writings.
The only mystery in this book is why it took Ellsberg so long to figure
out that he was on the wrong side. Most of the world had it figured out by
1967, and they didn't have Ellsberg's access to all those top-secret lies.
A power-hungry Kissinger is easy to understand, while Ellsberg seems more
intellectually honest, if somewhat elitist. Then again, late is better than
never, so it is not unreasonable to accept Ellsberg's account at face value.
ISBN 0-670-03030-9
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