For Edward Snowden’s own account, start with Permanent Record. Its young readers edition adapts that memoir for a younger audience, while No Place to Hide and How America Lost Its Secrets offer other authors’ accounts of the Snowden story. The selection below distinguishes books written by Snowden from books about him, so you can choose based on whether you want a first-person memoir, reporting, analysis, or a study guide.
| Book | Author | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Permanent Record | Edward Snowden | Snowden’s own account |
| No Place to Hide | Glenn Greenwald | Reporting on the disclosures |
| How America Lost Its Secrets | Edward Jay Epstein | An account focused on Snowden and the leak |
| Permanent Record (Young Readers Edition) | Edward Snowden | Younger readers |
| Study Guide: Permanent Record | SuperSummary | Readers seeking a companion study resource |
Permanent Record
Permanent Record is Edward Snowden’s memoir, making it the most direct choice for readers who want his own account rather than a book written by a journalist or commentator. The supplied listing identifies Snowden as the author and this edition as a paperback.
Best for: Readers seeking a first-person book by Snowden about his life and the events associated with his public disclosures. It is the clearest starting point if your main goal is to read a book authored by him.
Choose this if you want the standard memoir edition. Limitation: This is not an independent account from another author; readers looking for outside reporting or analysis may prefer to compare it with the other titles below.
No Place to Hide
Glenn Greenwald’s No Place to Hide: Edward Snowden, the NSA, and the U.S. Surveillance State is a book about Snowden and the surveillance disclosures, not a memoir by Snowden. The listing identifies Greenwald as its author and the format as paperback.
Best for: Readers who want a journalist’s account of the Snowden story and its connection to the NSA and government surveillance. It provides a useful contrast with Snowden’s first-person memoir.
Choose this if you are interested in the reporting context named in the title. Limitation: Snowden is not the author, so this is not the right pick if you specifically want his personal narrative.
How America Lost Its Secrets
Edward Jay Epstein’s How America Lost Its Secrets: Edward Snowden, the Man and the Theft examines Snowden and the events identified in its subtitle. The supplied listing names Epstein as the author and describes this edition as a hardcover.
Best for: Readers looking for a book about Snowden from a different author and interested in a title that frames the subject around the person and the taking of information.
Choose this if you want to compare an outside author’s treatment with Snowden’s memoir. Limitation: It is not written by Snowden, and the product information provided does not specify its approach or level of detail beyond the title.
Permanent Record (Young Readers Edition)
This edition is titled Permanent Record (Young Readers Edition): How One Man Exposed the Truth about Government Spying and Digital Security. The listing identifies Edward Snowden as the author and gives the format as hardcover. Its title makes the intended younger-reader audience explicit.
Best for: Younger readers or families seeking Snowden’s account in an edition specifically labeled for young readers. It is also a relevant option when the standard paperback is not the preferred format.
Choose this if the audience designation and hardcover format fit your needs. Limitation: This is the young readers edition, not the standard paperback listing; check the edition details if you need a particular version.
Study Guide: Permanent Record
Study Guide: Permanent Record by Edward Snowden is listed under SuperSummary as the author and paperback as the format. Its title identifies it as a study guide related to Snowden’s memoir rather than the memoir itself.
Best for: Readers who want a companion resource while studying or discussing Permanent Record. It may suit students or book groups looking for material separate from the primary text.
Choose this if you already have, or plan to read, Snowden’s book and want a guide. Limitation: It is not a substitute for the memoir and is not authored by Snowden.
Buying Guide: Which Edward Snowden Book Should You Choose?
Do you want Snowden’s own account?
Choose Permanent Record for the standard memoir listing. Select the young readers edition when the audience label better fits the intended reader. Both listings name Snowden as the author; the other books in this selection are by different authors.
Would you rather read another author’s account?
No Place to Hide is the option whose subtitle explicitly names Snowden, the NSA, and the U.S. surveillance state. How America Lost Its Secrets is another outside-author title, with a subtitle focused on Snowden and the theft. Compare their titles and authors before choosing; the product information here does not establish which presents a particular viewpoint.
Which format or reading purpose matters?
The standard Permanent Record and No Place to Hide listings are paperbacks. The young readers edition and How America Lost Its Secrets are listed as hardcovers. The SuperSummary title is a paperback study guide. Check the selected edition’s listing for current format details before ordering.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which book in this list is written by Edward Snowden?
Permanent Record and Permanent Record (Young Readers Edition) list Edward Snowden as the author.
Is No Place to Hide a book by Edward Snowden?
No. The listing names Glenn Greenwald as the author. Its title connects the book to Snowden, the NSA, and the U.S. surveillance state.
Which option is labeled for younger readers?
Permanent Record (Young Readers Edition) is explicitly labeled as the young readers edition.
Is the SuperSummary title the memoir itself?
No. It is titled as a study guide to Permanent Record, not as Snowden’s memoir.
What is the best starting point for reading Snowden’s own account?
Permanent Record is the direct choice because the listing names Edward Snowden as its author and identifies it as his memoir.