"SUBPOENA ALL THOSE BASTARDS AND BRING THE CASE ... DESTROY THE TIMES." —Richard M. Nixon
More blurbs . . . "I thought I knew the Pentagon Papers story backward and foreword, but Fighting for the Press proved me wrong. James Goodale has written a thriller that is also an insider's account of perhaps the most important moment in modern journalism."—Alex Jones, Director, Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy
"James Goodale's 'Fighting for the Press' is a brilliant fusion of memoir, scholarly essay, and historic narrative. Cheers for James Goodale, our poet laureate of the First Amendment."—Sidney Offit, Curator Emeritus George Polk Journalism Award "James Goodale is a battle-scarred veteran of the great struggles for freedom of the press in the tumultuous 20th century. Here he has give us a powerful account of his experiences—experiences that shaped the way we live now."—Jon Meacham, Pulitzer Prize "American Lion: Andrew Jackson and the White House""No one who cares about the First Amendment can afford not to read James Goodale's blow-by-blow insider's account of what happened behind-the-scenes at the New York Times before, during and after its decision to publish the Pentagon Papers. His insider's account combines indiscreet and significant revelations of the personal (and ideological) clashes between the outsized personalities at America's newspaper of record, with shrewd strategic legal and constitutional analysis and a passionate defense of First Amendment values."—Victor Navasky, The Nation
On June 13, 1971, the New York Times published the first of the Pentagon Papers, a series of top-secret Defense Department documents exposing U.S. government policies on the unpopular war in Vietnam.
James C. Goodale, then the young chief counsel for the Times, was there leading the legal team every step of the way.This is his compelling, never-before-told story of what happened behind closed doors—the strategies, the decisions, the larger-than-life characters from the worlds of law, politics, journalism, and the military.
Besides recounting the story behind the Pentagon Papers, Goodale notes Barack Obama has threatened to pursue Julian Assange and WikiLeaks, just as Nixon went after Neil Sheehan and the New York Times. Goodale warns that this threat, if effected, may criminalize newsgathering.
"This is a story worthy of John Grisham, except this one actually happened; it is fact, not fiction—and it's still unfolding ... James Goodale is an American treasure and so is his book."—Dan Rather, "Dan Rather Reports"
"A legal thriller. A very important book ... both enlightening and entertaining."—Sir Harry Evans, editor-at-large, Reuters "Exciting and easy to read ... the comparison of Obama to Nixon is chilling."—Gay Talese, author and journalist, winner of the Norman Mailer prize 2011 for Distinguished Journalism
"A fascinating fast-paced read and a window into the making of some of the most important press law and government decisions in our history."—Paul Steiger, Pro Publica
An engaging work which underlines the importance of fighting for a free press. Without press freedom, informed public debate is curtailed and democratic accountability diminished"—His Excellency Kofi Annan, fmr Secretary General, United Nations "The most detailed and honest inside account yet of the fight to publish the Pentagon Papers by the uncompromising lawyer in the middle of it. This history could not come at a more important time." —Seymour M. Hersh, Pulitzer Prize investigative journalist, five-time Polk Award winner
"I thought I knew the Pentagon Papers story backward and foreword, but Fighting for the Press proved me wrong. James Goodale has written a thriller that is also an insider's account of perhaps the most important moment in modern journalism."—Alex Jones, Director, Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy
James Goodale's 'Fighting for the Press' is a brilliant fusion of memoir, scholarly essay, and historic narrative. Cheers for James Goodale, our poet laureate of the First Amendment."—Sidney Offit, Curator Emeritus George Polk Journalism Award
"An engaging work which underlines the importance of fighting for a free press. Without press freedom, informed public debate is curtailed and democratic accountability diminished"—His Excellency Kofi Annan, fmr Secretary General, United Nations"The most detailed and honest inside account yet of the fight to publish the Pentagon Papers by the uncompromising lawyer in the middle of it. This history could not come at a more important time." —Seymour M. Hersh, Pulitzer Prize investigative journalist, five-time Polk Award winner Press and Reviews . . .
