Speaking Out : A Congressman's Lifelong Fight Against Bigotry, Famine, and War

In his 22 years as an Illinois congressman and in the years since he left office, Paul Findley has fought to eradicate famine, end wars, and eliminate bigotry in U.S. foreign policy. This sweeping political memoir opens with Findley's early days in Pittsfield, Illinois--where he was first elected to Congress in 1960--and chronicles his service during six administrations in Washington. His many accomplishments in Congress include authoring the 1973 War Powers Resolution and the Famine Prevention Program, leading agricultural trade missions to the Soviet Union and China, and entering the names and hometowns of all of the soldiers killed in Vietnam into the Congressional Record. This autobiography is also a no-holds-barred critique of Israel's lobby and its toll on the national interests of the United States. Few politicians are so openly critical of their government, and Findley's opinions on what he believes to be disastrous foreign policy provide a unique behind-the-scenes perspective on the shaping of these policies in the latter half of the 20th century.

Paul Findley served as a U.S. representative from Illinois from 1960 to 1982. He is the author of Deliberate Deceptions: Facing the Facts About the U.S.–Israeli Relationship, Silent No More: Confronting America’s False Images of Islam, and They Dare to Speak Out. He lives in Jacksonville, Illinois. Helen Thomas is a former White House correspondent. She lives in Washington, DC.