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You can read the complete declassified Pentagon Papers through the National Archives’ Pentagon Papers collection. It provides an index and separate PDF files; use the index to find the relevant part, then download and save its PDF before reading. For quicker text searches, the National Security Archive hosts an OCR text version, but verify quotations and page references against the Archives’ PDFs.
Where can I read the Pentagon Papers online?
Start with the National Archives collection page, the primary source for the complete declassified report. The collection is organized as an index and separate PDFs rather than one lightweight HTML edition. The Archives warns: “Due to the large file sizes, we recommend that you save them rather than try to open them directly.”
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For a convenient route to the index, DocsTeach also has a Pentagon Papers Index entry that points readers to the complete report at the National Archives.
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How do I download the Pentagon Papers?
- Open the National Archives collection page: archives.gov/research/pentagon-papers.
- Open the Index PDF. Use it to identify the part or volume relevant to your question.
- Download the corresponding PDF file and save it locally. The Archives lists individual files with their archival identifiers. Saving first is advisable because some files are large and may be awkward to open directly in a browser.
- Use the saved PDF for reading and page-level reference. If you need to search for a term, use the OCR resource described below, then check the result against the archival PDF.
Is there a searchable text version?
The National Security Archive’s OCR resource provides machine-readable text that can make finding names, phrases, or subjects easier than searching through large PDFs. OCR is a convenience, not the archival master: optical character recognition can misread text, and its layout may not match the printed page. Confirm exact wording and page references in the relevant National Archives PDF.
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What are the Pentagon Papers?
The report’s official title is Report of the Office of the Secretary of Defense Vietnam Task Force. The National Archives says Defense Secretary Robert McNamara commissioned the study in 1967. Its collection page describes the complete release as 48 boxes and approximately 7,000 declassified pages.
The National Archives and the Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon Presidential Libraries released the complete report on June 13, 2011, the 40th anniversary of the press leak. The Archives says the release includes material missing from earlier versions, has no redactions compared with previous releases, follows the presentation Leslie Gelb made to Secretary of Defense Clark Clifford on January 15, 1969, and includes supplemental back-documentation. The Archives’ 2011 release notice explains the release and problems with earlier editions.
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Why do editions of the Pentagon Papers differ?
“The Pentagon Papers” can refer to the classified study, its leaked and printed versions, or the later archival release. They are not interchangeable. The National Archives notes that publications based on the 1971 leak were incomplete and had reproduction problems. In particular, its release notice says the Beacon Press edition based on Senator Mike Gravel’s copy omitted words, paragraphs, and even entire pages.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesThe National Security Archive’s account, “Complete Pentagon Papers at Last!”, discusses differences between the House Armed Services Committee edition and the Gravel edition, as well as the substantial background papers and supporting documentation included in the 2011 release. If completeness matters, use the National Archives files rather than assuming a book or earlier edition reproduces the full archival release. The size of omissions depends on the particular edition; do not apply a single percentage to every printed version.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How is the report organized?
In its 2011 briefing, the National Security Archive describes the study’s main body as 43 volumes: 4,000 pages of narrative and 3,000 pages of documents, with four separately written diplomatic volumes adding 800 pages. These are figures describing the study’s organization in that briefing; they are not the same measure as the National Archives’ approximately 7,000-page count for the declassified release.
For practical reading, begin with the index rather than downloading files at random. It helps connect a subject or part of the report to the relevant volume, while the individual PDFs preserve the archival document’s page presentation.
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