Permanent Record

A Memoir of a Reluctant Whistleblower

By: Edward Snowden

Narrated by: Holter Graham

THE SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER

Edward Snowden, the man who risked everything to expose the US government’s system of mass surveillance, reveals for the first time the story of his life, including how he helped to build that system and what motivated him to try to bring it down.

In 2013, twenty-nine-year-old Edward Snowden shocked the world when he broke with the American intelligence establishment and revealed that the United States government was secretly pursuing the means to collect every single phone call, text message, and email. The result would be an unprecedented system of mass surveillance with the ability to pry into the private lives of every person on earth. Six years later, Snowden reveals for the very first time how he helped to build this system and why he was moved to expose it.

Spanning the bucolic Beltway suburbs of his childhood and the clandestine CIA and NSA postings of his adulthood, Permanent Record is the extraordinary account of a bright young man who grew up online – a man who became a spy, a whistleblower, and, in exile, the Internet’s conscience. Written with wit, grace, passion, and an unflinching candor, Permanent Record is a crucial memoir of our digital age and destined to be a classic.

Critic reviews

Riveting, pacy

The world's most famous whistleblower

Fascinating

A riveting account . . . Reads like a literary thriller

Gripping

His disclosures of mass surveillance and bulk collection of personal information are as relevant now as they were in 2013

Full of surprises . . . A deeply reluctant whistleblower . . . he deserves our thanks

Well-written

A very significant figure in the history of intelligence

Thriller plot

A thoughtful and elegantly written book (Steven Poole, New Statesmen)

Everyone needs to read this

Edward Snowden is a deep thinker at the level of Jodan Peterson.
And what a story. Knowingly ruining his own life in order to shine a spotlight and champion real freedom.
Narration was also excellent

A very necessary listen in a crazy world

Sadly governments do not protect their citizens and it is a traversty tthat Snowden remains persona non grata.

A modern day hero.

The preamble is a little indulgent and over long, but the message is powerful. To anyone who thinks they have a right to privacy, think again. An important book for anyone who believes in the right of personal freedom. That fight is over.

Realy good book

loved it, it's a good book. knowing how the internet began and to where it's now the internet is a lot safer.

Beautiful truth

This book makes thnk twice about being on my device and how i should be aware this happening