Daniel Ellsberg published 1 novel, 3 non-fiction books and 1 other book, beginning with Secrets (2002). The best-known is The Doomsday Machine: Confessions of a Nuclear War Planner (2017).
Updated September 2026
Where to start with Daniel Ellsberg
Start here
The Doomsday Machine: Confessions of a Nuclear War Planner
Daniel Ellsberg's most-read book.
Standalone novels in order
Secrets (2002)
Non-fiction in order
Risk, Ambiguity, and Decision (1963)
Papers on the War (1972)
The Doomsday Machine: Confessions of a Nuclear War Planner (2017)
Other books in order
The Theory and Practice of Blackmail (1968)
About Daniel Ellsberg
Daniel Ellsberg was an American political activist, economist, and United States military analyst. While employed by the RAND Corporation, he precipitated a national political controversy in 1971 when he released the Pentagon Papers, a top-secret Pentagon study of U.S. government decision-making in relation to the Vietnam War, to The New York Times, The Washington Post, and other newspapers.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Daniel Ellsberg FAQ
- How many books has Daniel Ellsberg written?
- Daniel Ellsberg published 1 novel, 3 non-fiction books and 1 other book that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Daniel Ellsberg's books in?
- Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with The Doomsday Machine: Confessions of a Nuclear War Planner.
- What is Daniel Ellsberg's last book?
- The Doomsday Machine: Confessions of a Nuclear War Planner (2017).
- What is Daniel Ellsberg's most famous book?
- The Doomsday Machine: Confessions of a Nuclear War Planner (2017) is Daniel Ellsberg's most widely read book.
Authors like Daniel Ellsberg
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.