Book Presentation

Within the space of a few short years, WikiLeaks has been transformed from an obscure Web site which contained the musings of a lone Australian computer hacker with conspiracy theory tendencies into one of the most well known media brands in the world. At the same time, the company’s founder Julian Assange has been on a rocket propelled ride which has seen him at various times described as everything right across the spectrum from America’s public enemy number one to a sexual predator to a champion of free speech and transparency who will stop at nothing to make sure the truth gets out.

Whatever the viewpoint, it is clear WikiLeaks is a story which is far from over. Digital disclosure of confidential information, even that normally concentrated at senior government level, is now a reality of the world in which we live. Whether that will cause the world as a whole to move to broader sunlit uplands powered by democracies or to descend into a web of increasingly strident dictatorships remains to be seen but there is no question the genie is now out of the bottle. In many ways, WikiLeaks is an opportunity for free nations to show whether or not they walk the talk when it comes to freedom of the press and the benefits of transparency. Interesting times still lie ahead as the WikiLeaks phenomena plays out.

DAVID LEIGH is investigations editor at The Guardian.

LUKE HARDING is The Guardian’s Moscow correspondent.

This is a summary and not a critique or a review of the book. It does not offer judgment or opinion on the content of the book.  This summary may not be organized chapter-wise but is an overview of the main ideas, viewpoints and arguments from the book as a whole. This means that the organization of this summary is not a representation of the book.