Guardian Books today confirmed the publication next month of WIKILEAKS: Inside Julian Assange's war on secrecy.
With rights having already been sold in eight territories*, WIKILEAKS: Inside Julian Assange's war on secrecy, is the first in-depth account of the WikiLeaks phenomenon. From the website's launch in 2006, to the latest developments in this epoch-defining drama, it exposes the real story behind the headlines, a compelling and revelatory account that brings the reader right up to the present time.
The authors, top Guardian journalists led by David Leigh, Investigations Editor, and Luke Harding, Moscow correspondent, have been at the heart of the Guardian's coverage of the biggest leak of secret information in history. Working alongside the Guardian's New York correspondent, Ed Pilkington, they have had unprecedented access to all the major players, from diplomats and politicians to the former WikiLeaks spokesman Daniel Domscheit-Berg and Julian Assange himself.
In WIKILEAKS: Inside Julian Assange's war on secrecy, they take the lid off the WikiLeaks phenomenon and explore the many strands of a story that continues to dominate world headlines. They look at the internet culture and technology that made the mining of secret information possible, and at the fanatical hackers who set up WikiLeaks. They explore the secret goings-on that WikiLeaks has uncovered, from the revelation of extra-judicial killings in Kenya in 2008 to the avalanche of US diplomatic cables in 2010. They study the implications of the latest revelations and they reveal the strange and contradictory nature of Assange himself: a man praised by Amnesty International in 2009 but also a man who, barely a year later, was to be accused by Swedish police of sex crimes.
Up until now, the WikiLeaks story has been revealed piecemeal. WIKILEAKS: Inside Julian Assange's war on secrecy, gives the full picture.
David Leigh said: "The real story of WikiLeaks has yet to be told and this book will lift the lid on the Guardian's unique partnership with Julian Assange, one of the world's most controversial figures. Readers will have a ringside seat as the extraordinary twists and turns of the WikiLeaks story unfold. It's a story of secret document dumps, spying and sex allegations, written by Guardian journalists who worked with Assange and followed his mission every step of the way. This book will bring you as close to the unvarnished truth as you're likely to get."
Lisa Darnell, Publisher of Guardian Books, said: "This has been very much the Guardian's story from the start, and David Leigh and his outstanding investigative team have an unrivalled understanding of the incredible events that led to one of the most compelling stories in recent years. Their book is not only a brilliant and gripping account of the events of the past four years, but is also revelatory: it offers readers a blend of narrative and analysis that they simply won't find elsewhere."
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Notes to editors:
Guardian Books will publish WIKILEAKS: Inside Julian Assange's war on secrecy, in trade paperback priced at £9.99.
*US, Japan, Iceland, Indonesia, Thailand, Portugal, Brazil, and Korea.
For further information please contact:
The Guardian News & Media press office on: 020 3353 2219 or e-mail media.enquiries@theguardian.com
or
Louise Campbell, Publicity Director, Random House on 0207 840 8614 or e-mail lcampbell@randomhouse.co.uk