Free the Animals! The Untold Story of the U.S. Animal Liberation Front & Its Founder, "Valerie"

The shattering account of one woman's struggle against the forces supporting the abuse of animals, Free the Animals is the best-selling and action-packed story of underground adventure, as well as an eloquent plea for the rights of nonhuman animals.  Free the Animals, with an introduction by Chrissie Hynde, is the story of Valerie, a twenty-three-year-old police officer in Montgomery County, Maryland, whose world was turned upside down when she learned about the abuses of animals in laboratories. The book describes how this law-abiding woman came to challenge the system by taking direct action and examines why ordinary people are moved to do extraordinary things on behalf of animals.

Editorial Reviews

"Despite a recent proliferation of animal rights books, this is the first to discuss the Animal Liberation Front (ALF). The most militant of the animal rights groups, this group operates in secrecy and advocates such aggressive actions as breaking into laboratories to rescue animals. Author Newkirk, executive director of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), is one of the few people with firsthand knowledge of the ALF and is personally acquainted with the organization's founder, the pseudonymous "Valerie." This is Valerie's story, the story of a woman who became so outraged at the injustices suffered by animals that she gave up her career as a police officer to found an organization which operates outside the law, if not actually against it. The details of military-type training, secret identities, and midnight raids make exciting reading, akin to a good adventure novel. Some readers will object to the ALF's militant tactics, but one is left with a positive sense of how someone with strong convictions can make a difference. Recommended as a good example of one of the more extreme viewpoints on the issue." --Deborah Emerson, Library Journal

"A moving story about extreme cruelty and extreme courage, and an inspirational and practical guide for anyone bent on challenging the system." --Oliver Stone

"Free the Animals!...takes us to the front lines of the movement for the nineties and gives us insight into what makes the world's newest freedom fighters tick." --Chrissie Hynde

"A rare, exciting, and sure-to-be controversial glimpse into the international animal rights movement...a must read for activist, humanist, and historian alike." --Paul Harvey, Jr.

"I cried and I cheered." --Rue McClanahan

About the Author

Ingrid E. Newkirk, co-author of the book 'Animalkind: Remarkable Discoveries About Animals and Revolutionary New Ways to Show Them Compassion' (Simon & Schuster, January 2020), is founder and president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, the largest animal rights organization in the world.

Her campaigns to promote cruelty-free living have made the front pages of The Washington Post and other national newspapers. She was named a top business person of the year in Forbes magazine, and has been profiled in The New Yorker and twice in People Magazine. She has appeared on The Today Show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, Larry King, Politically Incorrect, Crossfire, Nightline, 60 Minutes and 20/20 among others and enjoys a lively debate and the opportunity to show how easy it is to make animal-friendly choices.

Newkirk has spoken internationally on animal protection issues, from the steps of the Canadian Parliament to the streets of New Delhi, India, where she spent her childhood. She is the author of numerous opinion pieces and articles on the social implications of our treatment of animals and helped to pass the first anti-cruelty law in Taiwan. She is currently campaigning to end the live flaying of lambs for Australian Merino wool.

Ms. Newkirk served as a deputy sheriff; as a Maryland state law enforcement officer for 32 years; she has been director of cruelty investigations for the second oldest humane society in the U.S.; and serves in an advisory capacity on numerous animal protection boards. In 1980, she was named Washingtonian of the Year, and has since received many other accolades and awards, including a 1995 Courage of Conscience Award, a 2001 Animal Protection Hall of Fame Award, 2002 Living Legacy Award and 2004 Activist of the Year Awards.

Ingrid Newkirk achieved the passage of legislation to create a spay/neuter clinic in Washington, D.C., coordinated the first arrest in U.S. history of a scientist on cruelty to animals charges and helped pass into law the first anti-cruelty law in Taiwan. She spearheaded the closure of Department of Defense underground 'wound laboratory,' and has initiated many other campaigns against animal abuse, including ending General Motors' crash tests on animals.

She is the author of several other books, including Making Kind Choices, You Can Save the Animals!, PETA's Celebrity Cookbook, and 250 Ways to Make Your Cat Adore You.