The book includes analysis by Fidler, as well as other IU professors, and information from around 40 documents disclosed by Snowden.
Beginning in June 2013, Snowden, a former contractor for the National Security Agency, began leaking documents that he stole from the government regarding surveillance and classified information to members of the mainstream media, most notably Glenn Greenwald and Laura Poitras.
He is currently living at an undisclosed loin Russia, which granted him a three-year asylum in 2013.
History professor Nick Cullather, law professor Fred Cate and political science professor William Scheuerman contributed to the book, as well as Lee Hamilton, a former member of the U.S. House of Representatives and current director of the University’s Center on Congress.
In the book, Cullather analyzes the balance between security and liberty, Cate analyses the affair’s legal and policy issues related to privacy, Hamilton focuses on policy implications and the need for increased oversight of governmental surveillance, Fidler analyzes foreign policy consequences and Scheuerman provides ?assessment of Snowden’s actions versus traditions of civil ?disobedience.
Fidler said this book is different from others published about the Snowden affair because it includes analysis from both expert and documentary sources.
“Other books published so far focus largely on Snowden and play into the ‘hero or traitor’ debate associated with his actions,” he said in the release. “This book steps back from that debate to provide critical analysis from experts and access to documents that cover the tumultuous first year of the Snowden ?affair.”
The idea for the book came about after a panel organized by Sumit Ganguly, the director of the Center on American and Global Security at IU, the topic for which evolved into the first part of the book.
The second part of the book includes primary documents from the Snowden leak with notes from the authors offering context and explanations for each ?document.
“Part II allows readers to access these history-making documents in ways that enrich the experience the book provides,” Fidler said.
The book is published by IU Press and is now available for purchase in both paperback and e-book formats.
Holly Hays
