Before Edward Snowden, there was Christopher Boyce.
Back in 1977, Christopher Boyce and a childhood friend in California, Andrew Daulton Lee, were caught selling United States military secrets to the former Soviet Union.
Their story became the subject of a famous book and movie, "The Falcon and The Snowman".
Much like Edward Snowden, Christopher Boyce -- known as The Falcon for his dedicated interest in falconry -- was driven by his disenchantment within the US intelligence system.
Part of that disenchantment grew out of US dealings in Australia in Gough Whitlam's time, but it was to cost him 25 years of his life in prison.
Today, at age 61, he lives a quiet life in the north-west US state of Oregon, where SBS's Mark Davis caught up with him for the Dateline program.
Davis tells Ron Sutton that Christopher Boyce very much identifies with Edward Snowden.
(Click on audio tab above to listen to this item)
And Mark Davis's story with Christopher Boyce, airs on Dateline tonight at 9:30 on SBS One.
More on the Dateline website: http://www.sbs.com.au/dateline/story/about/id/601802/n/The-Falcon-Lands
