Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War
(Libby/OverDrive eAudiobook)

Gr 7 Up-Here Sheinkin tells the story of activist and military analyst Daniel Ellsberg and the famous Pentagon Papers, which were written while the United States was still fighting the war in Vietnam. The top-secret study revealed the many subterfuges used over the course of four presidencies to prolong the war solely for political gain. Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon were particularly complicit and made it known that they did not want to lose a war on "their watch." To that end, they went to great lengths to mislead the American people when we were losing almost from day one. Ellsberg decided that the document should be made public and the lies exposed in an effort to end the war. Ray Porter does a marvelous job reading this book. The subject matter requires a certain amount of gravitas, and his voice provides it. His pacing is just right, and the modulation of his voice for emphasis is spot-on. Dialects come into play as well. In particular, Johnson had a well-known Texas drawl that Porter captures perfectly. This is a must-listen for students interested in history and government and for those listeners who like intrigue. Ethical dilemmas make for great discussion topics, and this is the ideal option to seed such conversations. VERDICT This is a great book made greater still in audio. Highly recommended. ["A timely and extraordinary addition to every library": SLJ 9/15 starred review of the Roaring Brook book.]-Joan Kindig, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Using Daniel Ellsberg as a focal point, Sheinkin tells the story of the Vietnam War, making it accessible for young readers without losing any of the complexity. Sheinkin also achieves a striking balance between a journalistic point of view and the dramatic tension of narrative nonfiction; Porter mirrors this same balance in his reading. A composed tone, measured cadence, and slightly varied character voices make the audio version of the book, if possible, an even more absorbing way to access this powerful story. jonathan hunt (c) Copyright 2016. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

*Starred Review* Sheinkin—Newbery Honor winner for Bomb: The Race to Build—and Steal—the World's Most Dangerous Weapon (2012)—tackles the tangled narrative of the Vietnam War in his latest book. Focusing on the life of Daniel Ellsberg, Sheinkin offers a fascinating portrait of a brilliant, idealistic man and his decision to leak the Pentagon Papers, revealing unsavory government secrets about America's involvement in Vietnam. A product of the Cold War, Ellsberg was intrigued by questions of risk and crisis decision making, leading to his career as a think-tank analyst and eventual role as government whistle-blower. To create a broader backdrop for the narrative, Sheinkin includes stories of prisoners of war and White House machinations, though the POWs fall away by the end of the book as the secrets spiral beyond everyone's control, even Ellsberg's. Readers will not have much empathy for the government leaders as portrayed in this book, although Sheinkin does reveal a softer side to the otherwise ruthless Richard Nixon. Ellsberg's time spent with patrols in Vietnam is particularly well written, relaying the palpable atmosphere of hopeless ambiguity that strongly influenced Ellsberg's decisions. Sheinkin's extensive research includes black-and-white period photographs and author interviews with Ellsberg and his wife. Most Dangerous is thorough and challenging, and readers are left to determine whether Ellsberg—and whistle-blowers in general—is a hero or a traitor. Powerful and thought-provoking. Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.

Sheinkin (The Port Chicago 50) has done again what he does so well: condense mountains of research into a concise, accessible, and riveting account of history. This time he focuses on the turbulent Vietnam War era, using as his lens Daniel Ellsberg, the leaker of the Pentagon Papers. Divided into three sections, the book's short chapters detail Ellsberg's transformation from U.S. Marine, government analyst, and "cold warrior" to antiwar activist and whistle-blower. Initial pages list nearly 100 characters central to the Ellsberg-Vietnam story, including politicians, reporters, military personnel, and Vietnamese officials. Each appears chronologically in the expansive narrative, which also traces how several U.S. presidents and their often-secretive policies led to the prolonged conflict in Southeast Asia. Chapters dealing with Ellsberg's clandestine leak of a top-secret government study of the war, as well as the Nixon White House's response, read like the stuff of spy novels and will keep readers racing forward. On the 40th anniversary of the evacuation of Saigon, the book's themes still resonate, as the epilogue about whistle-blower Edward Snowden points out. Ages 10–14. Agent: Susan Cohen, Writers House. (Sept.)

Gr 7 Up—In this thoroughly researched, thoughtfully produced, and beautifully written book, Sheinkin delves into the life of Daniel Ellsberg, former Pentagon consultant and a self-described "cold warrior," who gradually made an about-face with regard to America's presence in Vietnam. Ellsberg famously leaked the Pentagon Papers, a lengthy document written by military insiders about the Vietnam War, to various members of the press in 1971. He was quickly labeled an enemy of the state and a traitor to his country, aka the most dangerous man in America. With access to many of the key players in this real-life drama, as well as mountains of source material, Sheinkin builds a narrative that is at once accessible and suspenseful, with revelations and details coming at just the right moments. In Sheinkin's careful hands, Ellsberg and others, including Richard Nixon, Henry Kissinger, and Robert McNamara, are fully realized characters with strengths, flaws, and motivations that grow ever more clear as the story unfolds. Direct quotes, primary source documents, and archival photographs are peppered throughout, supplementing and complementing the text. Meticulous source notes indicate the level of research and time that the author has put into this particular work. With the news filled with stories about Edward Snowden and the NSA, Julian Assange and WikiLeaks, and privacy rights and government overreach, this brilliant work about an extraordinary whistle-blower taking a stand should be on everyone's reading list. VERDICT A timely and extraordinary addition to every library.—Jody Kopple, Shady Hill School, Cambridge, MA