Description
Book SynopsisTreason is the only crime explicitly defined in America's Constitution. Relatively few Americans have been convicted of it. Far more have had the poisonous word thrown at them.Through the cases of Americans whowhether acting in defense of their country, for personal gain, or simply when society had redefined treasonous activitywere accused of betraying their country, though not charged with the ultimate crime against one's nation,If This Be Treasontackles the complicated question of where dissent ends and betrayal begins. Jeremy Duda covers the gamut of American history, from the earliest days of the republic, when George Logan's act of unauthorized diplomacy kept his fledgling country out of war with France but so outraged his enemies that Congress passed a law to prevent it from ever happening again, to today as Edward Snowden remains an international fugitive for exposing the government's spying on its own citizens.Among other examples are diplomatic envoy Nicholas Trist, who betray
Trade ReviewThrough a dozen engrossing and crisply drawn portraits, Jeremy Duda asks us to consider the sometimes fine line between patriotism and treason, resurrecting from historical footnotes a series of remarkable characters who defied the policies of their government, sometimes to serve a perceived higher purpose and other times for more selfish reasons. Fascinating! -- Scott Farris, New York Times bestselling author of Kennedy & Reagan: Why Their Legacies Endure and Inga: Kennedy's Great Love, Hitler's Perfect Beauty and J. Edgar Hoover's Prime Suspect
Jeremy Duda delivers a thrilling ride through American history—from the Revolutionary Era to today—among the larger-than-life people and events who battled at the crossroads of treason and patriotism. This compelling book shines a light on many dark corners and reveals eye-opening facts not previously known. Imagine your favorite history book meeting your favorite spy novel. -- Chris DeRose, New York Times bestselling author of The Presidents’ War: Six American Presidents and the Civil War that Divided Them and Congressman Lincoln: The Making of America’s Greatest President
