Defining Documents in World History: Treason Reviews
The majority of entries are authored by Danver, but twenty-four others, approximately half of whom have a Ph.D. or J.D., also contribute articles.
The entries cover a broad range of situations: they concern accusations of treason, legislation about treason, or events that were suspected of being treasonous (the last category, for instance, includes the 1939 German-American Bund “Free America” rally in Madison Square Garden, which, while not technically treasonous, represented an extremely unpopular view). The selections are indicative of a breach of perceived trust by the rulers, or of disobedience by the ruled. The articles in the set range chronologically from the English Treason Act of 1351 to the Resolution Establishing the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the U.S. The bulk of the documents are from the United States, but a few other nations are represented: in addition to the English Treason Act, the Freedom Charter of South Africa, a leaflet from the White Rose movement of Nazi Germany, and the Manifesto of the Paris Commune are reprinted. Earlier entries are more likely, the editors say, to involve religion.
The format is similar to that of other works in the series. Each of five sections — “Treason and the Law,” “Treason in Wartime,” “Treason and Espionage,” “Treason and Ideology,” and “Treason and Insurrection” — has an approximately one-page introduction; the discussion of the documents themselves, which are not in chronological order, follow. Each document is summarized and set in historical context, along with a short paragraph about its author. The document (or a long excerpt) then appears, with a few glossary terms, and a one- to three-page analysis.”
“The authors also point out the difficulties of defining treason in a globalized, technology-heavy world; when some people have dual citizenship, and communication technologies have offices in multiple countries, jurisdiction is more complicated. Danver also points out modern democracies’ challenge of preserving civil liberties while maintaining national security.”
“...the set is a thought-provoking supplement to research, particularly for high school or lower division undergraduate students.”
"ATG Reviewer Rating: I need this available somewhere in my shared network..." -Against the Grain