Snowden's first ever memoir to be published on Sep 17

Edward Snowden's memoir 'Permanent Record' will be published globally by Macmillan Publishers on September 17.

In 2013, former CIA agent and NSA contractor Snowden had shocked the world when he broke away from the American intelligence establishment and revealed the extent of information, including phone calls, text messages and emails, the US government was secretly gathering.

The result would be an unprecedented system of mass surveillance with the ability to pry into the private lives of every person on earth.

Snowden, who faces charges in the US which could land him in jail, is presently living in exile in Moscow.

In 'Permanent Record', he tells his story for the very first time, taking the reader along as he helps to create this system of mass surveillance and then experiences the crisis of conscience that led him to try to bring it down.

"Edward Snowden decided at the age of 29 to give up his entire future for the good of his country," said John Sargent, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at Macmillan Publishers.

"He displayed enormous courage in doing so, and like him or not, his is an incredible American story. There is no doubt that the world is a better and more private place for his actions. Macmillan is enormously proud to publish 'Permanent Record'," Sargent added.

'Permanent Record' will be published in more than 20 countries.

In the UK, Australia, India and South Africa the memoir will be published by Pan Macmillan; in the US by Metropolitan Books, an imprint of Henry Holt; in Germany by S Fischer Verlag.

The book has been edited by Metropolitan Books under the leadership of Sara Bershtel, senior Vice President and publisher.