Edward Snowden was born in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, and grew up in the shadow of Fort Meade. A systems engineer by training, he served as an officer of the Central Intelligence Agency, and worked as a contractor for the National Security Agency. He has received numerous awards for his public service, including the Right Livelihood Award, the German Whistleblower Prize, the Ridenhour Prize for Truth-Telling, and the Carl von Ossietzky Medal from the International League of Human Rights. Currently, he serves as president of the board of directors of the Freedom of the Press Foundation.
An extraordinary book -- Cory Doctorow A thoughtful and elegantly written book -- Steven Poole, <i>New Statesmen</i> [A] thriller plot * London Review of Books * A very significant figure in the history of intelligence * Sunday Times * Well-written * The Economist * Full of surprises . . . A deeply reluctant whistleblower . . . he deserves our thanks * Nation * His disclosures of mass surveillance and bulk collection of personal information are as relevant now as they were in 2013 * Guardian * Gripping * Washington Post * A riveting account . . . Reads like a literary thriller * New York Times * Fascinating * Observer * The world's most famous whistleblower * Guardian * Riveting, pacy * Financial Times *