Yes, The Post (2017) is based on a true story. The movie tells the story of The Washington Post’s decision to publish the Pentagon Papers, a classified report on the Vietnam War, despite significant legal and political pressures. The events depicted in the film actually happened in 1971.
What is the true story behind the movie The Post (2017)?
The Post is based on the true story of the legal battle between the United States government and journalists at The Washington Post during the Nixon administration in the early 1970s.
The story begins with the publication of the Pentagon Papers, a classified government report detailing the government’s involvement in the Vietnam War. Daniel Ellsberg, a government employee, had leaked the papers to The New York Times in 1971, and the publication of the papers had caused a national uproar.
The Nixon administration immediately obtained a court injunction to stop The New York Times from publishing any more information from the papers, claiming that they posed a serious threat to national security. The Washington Post, which had recently acquired a copy of the papers, faced a similar threat of legal action if they published them.
The story follows the decision-making process of The Post’s publisher, Katharine Graham, and editor, Ben Bradlee, as they debate the legal and moral implications of publishing the papers. In the end, they decide to publish the papers, risking both their careers and the future of their newspaper.
The legal battle went all the way to the Supreme Court, which ultimately ruled in favor of the newspapers, arguing that the government had failed to prove that the publication of the papers posed a national security threat.
The story of The Post is a compelling reminder of the importance of a free press in a democracy and the lengths that people will go to protect that freedom.
Are there any books about the true story behind the movie The Post (2017)?
Yes, there are several books about the true story behind the movie The Post (2017). Some of the most popular ones are:
- The Pentagon Papers: The Secret History of the Vietnam War by Neil Sheehan
- The Post: The Firsthand Account of the Watergate Scandal that Brought Down Nixon by Ben Bradlee
- Personal History by Katharine Graham
- All the President’s Men by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward (this book covers the Watergate scandal, which is referenced in The Post)
These books provide valuable insight into the events and people depicted in the movie and offer a deeper understanding of the historical context.
You can try an audible free trial and search for audiobook versions of those