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The FBI: A History

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About this listen

This fast-paced account of the history of the FBI presents the first balanced and complete portrait of the powerful and oft-criticized institution. Rhodri Jeffreys-Jones offers a new take on the origins and mission of the bureau, the significance of J. Edgar Hoover’s term as director, the bureau’s pre-emptive anti-terrorist capabilities before and after 9/11, and more.

©2007 Yale University Press (P)2007 Yale University Press Americas Freedom & Security Law Politics & Government Social Sciences United States Social justice Crime Espionage Socialism Latin American Forensics

Critic reviews

"A prolific historian of the United States intelligence community, Rhodri Jeffreys-Jones has now produced an informative survey of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.... Fascinating." (Kenneth O'Reilly, American Historical Review)
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This audiobook is a serious and rather dry history of how the FBI evolved. It focuses much more on the political, strategic and legal frameworks which created and formed the bureau through its history. Issues are considered at very high level, only rarely illustrated with anecdotes at the street/law enforcement level.

There's some interesting stuff in the book and you leave it better informed and with a different perspective on the FBI - but it is hard work at times and not a pacy, true crime read like, say Homicide. Having said this I found the more recent history fairly engaging, so perhaps my lack of engagement with other sections of the book was due more to a lack of familiarity with the cast of characters than the content.

The reader is adequate but prone to repeated basic errors (i.e. reading 'character' for 'charter') which tends to distract.

Focuses on the bureacracy and not on the bureau

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Thorough and linear analysis by decades of the turbulent history of the FBi. Focus on the political, social and cultural trends and movements that formed the force. Very little focus on crime solving in itself and of case studies.
Recommended read if you'd like to learn about the background of the FBI.

History of the organization of FBI

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