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MVFF: The Most Dangerous Man in American: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers (B+)
A festival viewer reviews The Most Dangerous Man in America, the documentary about Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers.
1971 · Washington, D.C., New York and Massachusetts
Daniel Ellsberg & the Pentagon Papers
Journalism, whistleblowers & accountability
Daniel Ellsberg supplied newspapers with a classified study of U.S. decision-making in Vietnam. The disclosures set off a struggle over government secrecy and press freedom. His memoir and documentary examine the decision to leak the papers, the legal response and the people involved.
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The Story
When1971
WhereWashington, D.C., New York and Massachusetts
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Blogs & Essays
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Books
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Books
1 itemsDaniel Ellsberg
Secrets: A Memoir of Vietnam and the Pentagon Papers
A book about this story. See the linked source for the author, edition and publication details.
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Movies & TV
Movies
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Film / television guide
The Most Dangerous Man in America (2009)
Documentary about Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers. PBS provides the film guide; the memoir is a companion firsthand account.
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Podcasts & Audio
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Social Media
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News & Reading
Free & Library Reading
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Library of Congress · Free Article
Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers | Crime, Corruption, and Cover-Ups | Explore | Drawing Justice: The Art of Courtroom Illustration | Exhibitions at the Library of Congress
Publicly accessible source material and historical context related to this story.
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Papers on the War
Related book record. Google may offer selected pages or another edition; full-book access is not confirmed.
View Catalog & Access Options ↗Reading Access Notes
Search reviewed 2026-09-15. Sources searched: Google Books, Internet Archive, Open Library, Library of Congress, Smithsonian Magazine, The Atavist Magazine. Search indexing is incomplete; this is not an exhaustive list of the web. Access can change by edition, country and library membership. Library loans may require sign-in or a wait.
A separate Texas Monthly search was blocked by the publisher’s automated-access rules and could not be verified.
News & reporting
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Newspaper clippings
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Court & Files
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Where this story happened
Washington, D.C., New York and Massachusetts
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Positive Outcome
Positive Outcome
1 itemsAbout these sources
Documented laws, advocacy and reforms. Listing a change does not claim it is effective or universally supported.
Constitutional ruling · Supreme Court opinion
1971: The Pentagon Papers press-freedom decision
The government failed to justify the requested prior restraint on publication. This ruling concerned the newspapers’ publication of the papers; it was not blanket immunity for every disclosure of classified information.
Social Media
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