Superspies: The Secret Side of Government

Anyone who has ever participated in a demonstration, gone to a rally, or even written a term paper on a subject remotely "un-American," you may have been watched. Whether they've helped organize a union or engaged in anti-labor activities, there is a chance that your phone may be tapped or your mail opened. There may be a file about you at the FBI.

Currently, a very delicate balance exists between surveillance in the name of national security and spying. An upset in this balance can result in a threat to civil liberties. The growth of huge bureaucracies of superspies on the federal, state, and local levels has tipped this balance to jeopardize the right to privacy. The CIA, the FBI, virtually every government agency, and numerous corporations have stretched "spying in the public interest" to its limits. Foreign governments are toppled, assassinations are plotted. The consequences of political dissent are enormous.

Jules Archer was one of the most respected names in nonfiction for young people. During his lifetime he published over seventy books, which have been translated into twelve languages throughout the world.

Brianna Dumont is author of the Changed History series, which makes history come alive by exposing its murky underbelly. The first book in the series, Famous Phonies: Legends, Fakes and Frauds Who Changed History, includes gems about ＂I-must-not-tell-a-lie＂ George Washington and school-less Shakespeare. Starting in June 2017, her National Geographic spin-off series Weird But True: Extra Credit will debut with U.S. Presidents. When she’s not writing quirky books, Brianna travels the world in search of great museums and historical sites. When she’s at home, she is a full-time writer and researcher who is quickly becoming best friends with her local librarian. She and her family live in Chicago, Illinois.