Ralph Engelman is senior professor of journalism and communication studies at Long Island University, Brooklyn, and faculty coordinator of the George Polk Awards. He is the author of Friendlyvision: Fred Friendly and the Rise and Fall of Television Journalism. Carey Shenkman is a constitutional lawyer and litigator focusing on freedom of expression and transparency. He serves on the panel of experts of Columbia University’s Global Freedom of Expression Program.

"A timely and compelling “biography” of the Espionage Act, vividly told through the harrowing stories of whistleblowers, government employees, policy consultants and journalists, from prominent socialist Eugene Debs to whistleblower Edward Snowden. " --Los Angeles Review of Books "Engelman and Shenkman’s compelling history should inform deliberations about the roles of secrecy and publicity in our digital world for some time to come." --American Journalism "An impressive piece of both legal and journalistic history." --Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press "Carey Shenkman and Ralph Engelman's study of the history, law, and implications of these recent abuses of the Espionage Act is needed urgently, if we are to remain truly a democratic republic."--Daniel Ellsberg "This book could not be more timely. . . . This comprehensive look at its history is an enlightening read for students of journalism history, and, in fact, anyone who wants to understand what is at stake for journalists." --National Journal of Communication “A wonderful, detailed history of developments around the Espionage Act and the attempt by government to control expression within a democratic society. Of interest to anyone who is interested in government’s attempt to control information.”--David S. Allen, author of Democracy, Inc.: The Press Law in the Corporate Rationalization of the Public Sphere