Wild Man

Praise for Wells's previous book, The War Within: 'An invaluable record of an unforgettable American calamity...The War Within deserves to be read and pondered for the lessons it provides about the surprising power of ordinary citizens to make and break wars and Presidents.' - The New York Times 'By releasing the Pentagon Papers to the New York Times, the enigmatic Daniel Ellsberg forever etched his name in the annals of American History. But until Tom Wells wrote Wild Man, the strange and twisted life of Ellsberg was largely unknown. Now, in this brilliantly researched biography, we finally understand the demons that drove the eccentric Ellsberg to perform a daring act of patriotism aimed at extracting the United States from the Vietnam War.' - Douglas Brinkley, Director of the Eisenhower Centre and Professor of History at the University of New Orleans, USA 'Tom Wells has written a fascinating biography about the bizarre career of Daniel Ellsberg before he became famous as the man who turned the Pentagon Papers over to the New York Times. He has also retold, in breathtaking prose, portions of the dastardly and inept deeds of the 'Plumbers' unit within the White House for a generation of Americans who have long since forgotten (if they ever knew of) Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers. Ellsberg may not be happy with this revealing account of his life and career, but Wells's biography will save him from becoming a mere footnote to history. As a fanatic hawk turned fanatic dove, Ellsberg's lasting claim to fame rests not so much on the secret RAND report that he leaked to the press, but on the Nixon White House's mishandling of this leak which transformed the 'Plumbers' into burglars. Discovery of their break-in at the office Ellsberg's psychiatrist resulted in a mistrial of government charges against Ellsberg for releasing classified information. This first 'black-bag' job of the 'Plumbers' set the stage for the other illegal activities of the administration which Nixon Attorney General John Mitchell later called the 'Watergate horrors.'' - Joan Hoff, James Pinckney Harrison Professor of History, College of William and Mary, USA; author of Nixon Reconsidered 'Fascinating investigation...recommended.' - Library Journal 'He probes Ellsberg's mind circumspectly, without overreaching and with fruitful results...Wells is a fair and perceptive chronicler of the life of this sometimes inspirational, sometimes maddening, always fascinating figure.' - Washington Post Book World 'Tom Wells has done the nearly impossible in his comprehensive biography of Dan Ellsberg - captured the enigmatic and erratic brilliance of a gung-ho war-lover who sought the opportunity to 'kill Communists' in Vietnam,then risked prison to give the Pentagon Papers to the press in the single most effective blow of the anti-war effort he once had scorned.' - Tom Wicker, formerly of the New York Times