If This Be Treason

Treason is the only crime explicitly defined in America's Constitution, and treason charges have been brought less than 30 times in American history. Yet, time and again throughout American history, cries of “treason” ring out against someone or some group whose actions seem to toe the line between American dissent and American betrayal. If This Be Treason covers a half-dozen cases of near-treason, from the 18th Century's George Logan to today's Edward Snowden, providing a unique lens through which to view American history, partisan politics, global politics, how freedom of the press and free speech have evolved in American life, and how rogue acts of dissent have changed the American path.