The Secret Histories

"A rich—and disheartening—collection of deception and exposure."—The Washington Post

"Reads like a hymnal to the power of the exposé. Friedman, a Nation contributor and documentary filmmaker, has combed through some of the larger events of the post-WWII era and culled 26 stories, books, and congressional reports that together tell an unacknowledged version of the past 65 years . . . It's the perfect inspiration for . . . healthy skepticism . . . "Inspire[s] a necessary distrust of the news media . . . If you come away from [The Secret Histories] questioning everything you know, that's part of the point—distrust flourishes when dark corners are illuminated."—The Village Voice

"There's probably a reason why the history education of most elementary school students ends around World War II. What comes after that war—which had easy-to-understand enemies and clear-cut wrongs and rights—is too messy to explain and often too new to bear the strong lens of historical reflection. Journalist and documentary filmmaker John S. Friedman underscores the messiness of the latter half of the 20th century in his anthology The Secret Histories. In this volume, he compiles documents that shed light on various historical events, from World War II to the present day. Friedman's mostly original source material includes transcripts from 'television documentaries, newspaper and magazine articles, selections from books, reports from Senate investigations, tape recordings, decoded cables and an article that first appeared on the Internet.' He has written short but authoritative introductions to each piece, attempting to give the reader the context for the events described. The Secret Histories is a treasure for the serious history buff, but there's plenty for the amateur historian or the concerned citizen—a reader Friedman takes special care to court since he sees darker currents running through these historical examples . . . Friedman has done a masterful job of collecting primary source material and making careful choices about what was included . . . After reading The Secret Histories, one hopes that Friedman's call for the uncovering of recent cover-ups will be heeded . . . Perhaps this volume will kick-start the process."—The Capital Times

 

"Chilling and immensely informative . . . The Secret Histories illuminates the darkest side of American politics . . . Masterfully compiled . . . Friedman's eye-opening anthology [is] a must-read in this bleak time."—V.B. Price, Albuquerque Tribune

 

"A concise anthology of documents that the government, or at least those in power, would have preferred to conceal from the public. Even for students who might read just a few of these documents, the book encourages what ought to be the first step in any activism: yearning to know . . . The book is a tool for students. All of the documents are made more clear by the historical context Friedman provides each of them."—Columbia Spectator



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