The Day the Presses Stopped: A History of the Pentagon Papers Case

This is one of those rare beasts in non-fiction -- a page-turner that has been written and edited so well that there is no excess verbiage or repetition! I wanted to know more about the Pentagon Papers, and my research pointed me in the direction of this book, but I had no idea what a wonderful read it would turn out to be...

Fanatastic, detailed and scholarly account of the Pentagon papers case from a truly gifted legal academic

Rudenstine's book is a terrific read! The secret's in the pacing, because he steps through the events leading to the landmark Supreme Court ruling day-by-day, sometimes hour-by-hour. Because the Nixon administration sought preliminary injunctions against the Times and Post, the legal battle was fought over a few weeks, accelerating toward the end. The author is unsparing in his criticism of the legal approaches used on all sides and points out errors and opportunities missed by judges, lawyers, defendants, and plaintiffs. The result is a less tidy view of what I had previously presumed was a cut-and-dried First Amendment case. Forgive my low-brow tastes, fellow readers, but this book reminded me of Tom Clancy's first novel, The Hunt for Red October: It makes a thriller by tracing the technicalities swirling around a crisis. I wish there were a sequel.