The Burglary: The Discovery of J. Edgar Hoover's Secret FBI [Paperback]

In late 1970, a mild-mannered Haverford College physics professor privately asked a few people this question: “What do you think of burglarizing an FBI office?” In remarkable detail and with astonishing depth of research, Betty Medsger reveals the never-before-told full story of the history-changing break-in at the Media, Pennsylvania, FBI offices. Through their exploits, a group of unlikely activists exposed the shocking truth that J. Edgar Hoover was operating a shadow Bureau engaged in illegal surveillance and harassment of the American people.

The Burglarybrings the activists, who have kept their secret for forty-three years, into the public eye for the first time—including, new to this edition, the recent discovery of the eighth and final member of the team. The burglars’ story of personal sacrifice and civil disobedience is a vital episode in the American whistle-blower tradition that includes the Pentagon Papers, Watergate’s Deep Throat, and, most recently, Edward Snowden and the NSA.

One of the Best Books of the Year,St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Investigative Reporters & Editors (IRE) Book Award Winner

“Rich and valuable.”
—David J. Garrow,The Washington Post
 
“Impeccably researched, elegantly presented, engaging…For those seeking a particularly egregious example of what can happen when secrecy gets out of hand,The Burglaryis a natural place to begin.”
—David Oshinsky,New York Times Book Review

“A cinematic account . . . By turns narrative and expository,The Burglaryprovides ample historical context, makes telling connections and brings out surprising coincidences . . . makes a powerful argument for moral acts of whistle-blowing in the absence of government action.”
—San Francisco Chronicle

“An important work, the definitive treatment of anl!