While conducting research for an article on Internet security writer Michael Gurnow noticed there was something odd in the world's response to Edward Snowden and the National Security Agency spying scandal. Fascinated by the public reaction and how diametrically opposed politicians were in strange agreement Gurnow threw himself into the story. The result is a meticulously researched book. A gifted writer Gurnow breaks down the facts in an easy to follow and fast paced telling of the events that led up to the Snowden revelations, the media response, and the cat and mouse game that followed between the media and politicians around the world.
The narrative begins with Snowden literally growing up in the shadow of the National Security Agency. The author explains how Snowden was able to gain access to classified information, and how he was able to make off with it, and avoid capture by the American intelligence community. Michael Gurnow breaks down the technologies and techniques used by the NSA to capture and store massive amounts of information. He reveals in an objective way how select members of the media broke the story, and the political, legal and technological implications of Snowden's disclosures.