Baseless: my search for secrets in the ruins of the Freedom of Information Act
Description
"Ten years into researching a book about the possibility that the United States had used biological weapons in the Korean War, Nicholson Baker was frustrated and disheartened. In the course of his research, he had become deeply disillusioned with the process of FOIA requests. He has been forced to wait years in some cases, while other requests have been answered only with documents rendered inscrutable, or even illegible, by copious redactions. Rather than wait forever, with his head full of secrets aboutgovernment atrocities committed by his own country, Baker sets out to keep a personal journal of his obstructed research instead. He begins documenting his correspondence with the government administrators who are charged with responding to, and thus stymying, his requests. The result is one of the most original and daring works of nonfiction in recent memory, a singular and mesmerizing narrative into the history of some of the darkest and most shameful secrets of the CIA and US government--all willfullyconcealed to some degree despite the existence of the so-called Freedom of Information Act. In his preternaturally lucid and unassuming style, Baker unearths stories of CIA programs involving weaponized insects and the deliberate spread of Lyme disease;dangerous military experiments carried out on unsuspecting American citizens; and devastating chemical munitions designed to inflict terrible harm on innocent civilians in far-flung countries. At the same time, he shares beautiful anecdotes from his dailylife in Maine feeding his dogs and watching the morning light gather on the horizon. The result is an astonishing and utterly disarming story about waiting, bureaucracy, the horrors of war, and, above all, the deadly secrets the United States governmentkeeps from its citizens"--
Subjects
Subjects
Biological warfare
Biological warfare -- Research -- United States
Biological weapons
Biological weapons -- United States -- History
Cold War
Government information
Government information -- United States
History
Intelligence service
Intelligence service -- United States -- History
Official secrets
Official secrets -- United States
Research
United States. -- Freedom of Information Act
Biological warfare -- Research -- United States
Biological weapons
Biological weapons -- United States -- History
Cold War
Government information
Government information -- United States
History
Intelligence service
Intelligence service -- United States -- History
Official secrets
Official secrets -- United States
Research
United States. -- Freedom of Information Act
More Details
ISBN:
9780735215757
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Grouping Information
Grouped Work ID | 8a7a69a8-a4ee-7722-1b4c-83c9b50ffcbf |
---|---|
Grouping Title | baseless my search for secrets in the ruins of the freedom of information act |
Grouping Author | nicholson baker |
Grouping Category | book |
Grouping Language | English (eng) |
Last Grouping Update | 2024-04-30 13:58:54PM |
Last Indexed | 2024-05-03 22:52:38PM |
Solr Fields
accelerated_reader_point_value
0
accelerated_reader_reading_level
0
author
Baker, Nicholson
author_display
Baker, Nicholson
available_at_or
Case Memorial Library
detailed_location_or
Orange/Case Adult Nonfiction Book
display_description
"Ten years into researching a book about the possibility that the United States had used biological weapons in the Korean War, Nicholson Baker was frustrated and disheartened. In the course of his research, he had become deeply disillusioned with the process of FOIA requests. He has been forced to wait years in some cases, while other requests have been answered only with documents rendered inscrutable, or even illegible, by copious redactions. Rather than wait forever, with his head full of secrets aboutgovernment atrocities committed by his own country, Baker sets out to keep a personal journal of his obstructed research instead. He begins documenting his correspondence with the government administrators who are charged with responding to, and thus stymying, his requests. The result is one of the most original and daring works of nonfiction in recent memory, a singular and mesmerizing narrative into the history of some of the darkest and most shameful secrets of the CIA and US government--all willfullyconcealed to some degree despite the existence of the so-called Freedom of Information Act. In his preternaturally lucid and unassuming style, Baker unearths stories of CIA programs involving weaponized insects and the deliberate spread of Lyme disease;dangerous military experiments carried out on unsuspecting American citizens; and devastating chemical munitions designed to inflict terrible harm on innocent civilians in far-flung countries. At the same time, he shares beautiful anecdotes from his dailylife in Maine feeding his dogs and watching the morning light gather on the horizon. The result is an astonishing and utterly disarming story about waiting, bureaucracy, the horrors of war, and, above all, the deadly secrets the United States governmentkeeps from its citizens"--
format_category_or
Books
format_or
Book
id
8a7a69a8-a4ee-7722-1b4c-83c9b50ffcbf
isbn
9780735215757
itype_or
ADULT BOOK
last_indexed
2024-05-04T04:52:38.033Z
lexile_score
-1
literary_form
Non Fiction
literary_form_full
Non Fiction
local_callnumber_or
358.388 Baker
owning_library_or
Case Memorial Library
owning_location_or
Case Memorial Library
primary_isbn
9780735215757
publishDate
2020
publisher
Penguin Press
recordtype
grouped_work
subject_facet
Biological warfare -- Research -- United States
Biological weapons -- United States -- History
Cold War
Government information -- United States
Intelligence service -- United States -- History
Official secrets -- United States
United States. -- Freedom of Information Act
Biological weapons -- United States -- History
Cold War
Government information -- United States
Intelligence service -- United States -- History
Official secrets -- United States
United States. -- Freedom of Information Act
title_display
Baseless : my search for secrets in the ruins of the Freedom of Information Act
title_full
Baseless : my search for secrets in the ruins of the Freedom of Information Act / Nicholson Baker
title_short
Baseless
title_sub
my search for secrets in the ruins of the Freedom of Information Act
topic_facet
Biological warfare
Biological weapons
Cold War
Government information
History
Intelligence service
Official secrets
Research
Biological weapons
Cold War
Government information
History
Intelligence service
Official secrets
Research
Solr Details Tables
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ils:.b26482885 | .i64234526 | Branford/Blackstone Adult Nonfiction | 358.388 BAK | 1 | false | false | On Shelf | bran | |||||
ils:.b26482885 | .i64438016 | Wallingford Adult Nonfiction | 358.388 BAKER | 1 | false | false | On Shelf | waan | |||||
ils:.b26482885 | .i64422689 | Old Saybrook/Acton Adult Non-Fiction | 358 BAKER | 1 | false | false | On Shelf | osan | |||||
ils:.b26482885 | .i64780454 | Norwich/Otis Adult Nonfiction | 358.388 BAK | 1 | false | false | Due May 21, 2024 | nwan | |||||
ils:.b26482885 | .i64440850 | Orange/Case Adult Nonfiction Book | 358.388 Baker | 1 | false | false | On Shelf | oran | |||||
ils:.b26482885 | .i64448277 | Madison/Scranton Adult Nonfiction | 358.388 BAKER | 1 | false | false | In Process | maan | |||||
ils:.b26482885 | .i64696285 | East Lyme Public Adult Non-Fiction | 358.388 Baker | 1 | false | false | On Shelf | elan | |||||
ils:.b26482885 | .i64386776 | Meriden Adult Non-Fiction | 358.38 BA | 1 | false | false | On Shelf | mean |
record_details
Bib Id | Format | Format Category | Edition | Language | Publisher | Publication Date | Physical Description | Abridged |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ils:.b26482885 | Book | Books | English | Penguin Press | 2020 | xiv, 450 pages ; 24 cm |
scoping_details_or
Bib Id | Item Id | Grouped Status | Status | Locally Owned | Available | Holdable | Bookable | In Library Use Only | Library Owned | Holdable PTypes | Bookable PTypes | Local Url |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ils:.b26482885 | .i64234526 | On Shelf | On Shelf | false | true | true | false | false | false | 9999 | ||
ils:.b26482885 | .i64438016 | On Shelf | On Shelf | false | true | true | false | false | false | 9999 | ||
ils:.b26482885 | .i64422689 | On Shelf | On Shelf | false | true | true | false | false | false | 9999 | ||
ils:.b26482885 | .i64780454 | Checked Out | Checked Out | false | false | true | false | false | false | 9999 | ||
ils:.b26482885 | .i64440850 | On Shelf | On Shelf | true | true | true | false | false | true | 9999 | ||
ils:.b26482885 | .i64448277 | Coming Soon | In Process | false | false | true | false | false | false | 9999 | ||
ils:.b26482885 | .i64696285 | On Shelf | On Shelf | false | true | true | false | false | false | 9999 | ||
ils:.b26482885 | .i64386776 | On Shelf | On Shelf | false | true | true | false | false | false | 9999 |