Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vientam War - ESSENTIAL

Sheinkin, Steve  Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War, 384 pgs.  NON-FICTION. Roaring Brook Press, 2015.  $19.99  Content: Language: PG-13 (28 swears); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG-13 (war violence including pictures of dead soldier & dead student).   

Daniel Ellsberg was an analyst for the Pentagon and had an understanding of Vietnam from a political standpoint through confidential reports.  When the Pentagon Papers are compiled to help create a history of the United States involvement in Vietnam, Ellsberg starts to feel like the government is keeping too many secrets from the American people.  Ellsberg goes from a pro-war sentiment to an anti-war peace protestor slowly, but when he decides that the government is going to keep wasting lives in Vietnam he is spurred to action.  

 I couldn’t put this book down.  This is readable history that makes something as complicated as Vietnam clear and understandable.  The human interest story of Ellsberg mixed in with the war in Vietnam as well as the behind the door decisions of US Presidents make this read like the best of spy novels. 

MS – ADVISABLE, HS – ESSENTIAL.  Reviewer, C. Peterson.