A 2015 National Book Award Finalist, reviewed in The Washington Post, as well as featured on the Publishers Weekly "Best Books of 2015" list.
From Steve Sheinkin, the award-winning author of The Port Chicago 50 and Newbery Honor Book Bomb comes a tense, narrative nonfiction account of what the Times deemed "the greatest story of the century": how whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg transformed from obscure government analyst into "the most dangerous man in America," and risked everything to expose a government conspiracy.
On June 13, 1971, the front page of the New York Times announced the existence of a 7,000-page collection of documents containing a secret history of the Vietnam War. Known as The Pentagon Papers, these files had been commissioned by Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara. Chronicling every action the government had taken in the Vietnam War, including an attempt by Nixon to foil peace talks, these papers revealed a pattern of deception spanning over twenty years and four presidencies, and forever changed the relationship between American citizens and the politicians claiming to represent their interests. The investigation--and attempted government coverups--that followed will sound familiar to those who followed the scandal surrounding Edward Snowden.
A provocative and political book that interrogates the meanings of patriotism, freedom, and integrity, Most Dangerous further establishes Steve Sheinkin as a leader in children's nonfiction.
This thoroughly-researched and documented book can be worked into multiple aspects of the common core curriculum.
About the Author :
Steve Sheinkin is the award-winning author of fast-paced, cinematic histories for young readers. His most recent, The Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil Rights, was included on the National Book Award Long List and received the 2014 Boston Globe/Horn Book Award for Nonfiction. The Notorious Benedict Arnold: A True Story of Adventure, Heroism & Treachery, won both the Boston Globe/Horn Book Award and the YALSA award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults. Bomb: The Race to Build-and Steal-the World's Most Dangerous Weapon was a Newbery Honor Book, a National Book Award Finalist, and winner of the Sibert Award and YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults. He lives in Saratoga Springs, New York, with his wife and two children.
Review :
"As always, Sheinkin knows how to put the "story" in history with lively, detailed prose rooted in a tremendous amount of research, fully documented." Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"Thoroughly researched, thoughtfully produced, and beautifully written . . . A timely and extraordinary addition to every library." School & Library Journal, starred review
"Without a wasted word or scene, and with the timing and prowess of a writer of thrillers, Sheinkin takes on a spectacularly complex story . . . here, he s outdone even himself." Horn Book, starred review
"The early 1970s come to life as Sheinkin splices war, politics, and journalism in what could be an international thriller but it is true . . . A detailed but fast-paced and fascinating narrative." VOYA, starred review
"Sheinkin has done again what he does so well: condense mountains of research into a concise, accessible, and riveting account of history." Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Powerful and thought-provoking . . . Sheinkin offers a fascinating portrait of a brilliant, idealistic man and his decision to leak the Pentagon Papers." Booklist, starred review
"Sheinkin is a master of fast-paced histories for young readers . . . [Most Dangerous] is Sheinkin's most compelling one yet." The Washington Post
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"As always, Sheinkin knows how to put the "story" in history with lively, detailed prose rooted in a tremendous amount of research, fully documented." "Kirkus Reviews," starred review
"Thoroughly researched, thoughtfully produced, and beautifully written . . . A timely and extraordinary addition to every library." "School & Library Journal," starred review
"Without a wasted word or scene, and with the timing and prowess of a writer of thrillers, Sheinkin takes on a spectacularly complex story . . . here, he s outdone even himself." "Horn Book," starred review
"The early 1970s come to life as Sheinkin splices war, politics, and journalism in what could be an international thriller but it is true . . . A detailed but fast-paced and fascinating narrative." "VOYA," starred review
"Sheinkin has done again what he does so well: condense mountains of research into a concise, accessible, and riveting account of history." "Publishers Weekly, " starred review
"Powerful and thought-provoking . . . Sheinkin offers a fascinating portrait of a brilliant, idealistic man and his decision to leak the Pentagon Papers." "Booklist, " starred review
"Sheinkin is a master of fast-paced histories for young readers . . . ["Most Dangerous"] is Sheinkin's most compelling one yet." "The Washington Post""
