Opinions Throughout History: National Security vs. Civil & Privacy Rights Review

Friday, October 19, 2018 11:35:14 AM
“This is a new series from Salem Press titled Opinions throughout History, and the first topic is privacy, civil rights, and national security. The book contains 29 chapters examining landmark legal cases, from the 1890 Foundations of a Constitutional Debate to the 2016-18 Section 702 Renewal. Each chapter details a specific legal debate, controversy, law enactment, or Supreme Court decision. At the bottom of each chapter, a timeline of events prior to, up to, and after the event provides a quick reference and history. There are many black-and-white pictures throughout the book, along with discussion questions for classroom and homework assignment use. Some of the events described include Barenblatt vs. United States (1959), The FISA Act of 1978, The PATRIOT Act (2001), The Snowden Leaks (2013), and the USA Freedom Act (2015), to name a few. A timely reference work with a wealth of historical information and detail on these topics.”
-ARBA, 2018

“The first volume in a new reference series, this well-formatted, accessible title provides a detailed overview of the tension between national security and privacy and civil rights, from the ratification of the U.S. Constitution to the Vault 7 leak of 2017. A time line of major events and court cases runs along the bottom of the text. Both sides of the argument are presented, and the title discusses the topic at length, pulling in writing from journalists as well as case law. With broad, in-depth coverage, this is a solid starting point for understanding the issues. Primary and secondary sources give historical context and current perspectives on each chapter’s subject. Readers would be better served had the notes section been placed at the end of each chapter, but the source list and bibliography are thorough and extremely helpful. Also of interest are the historical snapshots. VERDICT A quality purchase for reference collections in all libraries.”
-School Library Journal, 2018