Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Crown Forum (2009), Edition: First Edition, 288 pages
Description
Because Secret Service agents are sworn to secrecy, the American public rarely knows what presidents, vice presidents, presidential candidates, and Cabinet officers and their families are really like. If they did, says a former Secret Service agent, "They would scream."
Media reviews
What is truly dangerous is the kind of National Enquirer-style gossip in Kessler's book. In the future, without "trust and confidence" in their agents, presidents will want to keep them at a distance, out of spying range -- and out of safety range, when split seconds may count.
User reviews
LibraryThing member AzureMountain
This would have been a better book without the gossip about USSS protectees. I was hoping for a book about the way the service works and how the agents who work for the service are chosen and trained. I expected there would be some discussion of the quirks of the principals. In a few chapters, the
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author started to touch on these subjects, but then would dart away back to scandal and trivia. This made the whole book trivial for me. On the plus side, a very easy read. Took me less than a day, so I do not feel that I wasted a lot of time. Show Less
LibraryThing member traczy555
Horrible. Written poorly and especially very poorly edited. It jumps around. Chapters titled for one topic that isn't even mentioned until the next. Chapter titled for one topic that is mentioned in one paragraph, then rambles on and on, on other topics. It was very apparent that the author had an
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agenda which was repeated over and over...the Secret Service needs better/tighter organization and especially more funding. There is some interesting info about former administrations, which I did enjoy for the gossip factor, but seriously, you can get that from elsewhere in a WAY better read. Show Less
LibraryThing member KHusser
In the President’s Secret Service, a new book about protecting our Commander in Chief, by Ronald Kessler, is a quick read full off interesting tidbits about past presidents’ quirks, preferences, and personality traits. Kessler also does a nice job explaining the history of the President’s
However, the book would flow much better if chapters were more chronological in nature and didn’t jump from the Kennedy administration to more dry, historical facts from the turn of the century. The reader will enjoy learning about Reagan’s dependency on his wife’s advice and the uncivilized antics of the Johnson years. Many embarrassing and very private scenarios are revealed about the Presidents and their families, but I’m not sure the public needed to know that Jimmy Carter treated the staff “disrespectfully” and lied about drinking alcohol in the White House. The public needs to understand that our leaders are human and have flaws like all of us. Enjoy, In the President’s Secret Service for the rich history about the protective detail and the challenges it faces everyday on the job.
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security force and goes into great detail about past assassins’ attempts and breaches of security that the public never knew existed for our first family.However, the book would flow much better if chapters were more chronological in nature and didn’t jump from the Kennedy administration to more dry, historical facts from the turn of the century. The reader will enjoy learning about Reagan’s dependency on his wife’s advice and the uncivilized antics of the Johnson years. Many embarrassing and very private scenarios are revealed about the Presidents and their families, but I’m not sure the public needed to know that Jimmy Carter treated the staff “disrespectfully” and lied about drinking alcohol in the White House. The public needs to understand that our leaders are human and have flaws like all of us. Enjoy, In the President’s Secret Service for the rich history about the protective detail and the challenges it faces everyday on the job.
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LibraryThing member laws
I actually liked this book. I did not really know what the Secret Service did other then protect the president ,until after I finished reading the book. It was very informative, easy to read, and understand. It amazed me of what went on behind the scenes of the president, his family,etc. Each
The Secret Service really do have a hard job. They sacrifice their lives both personel and professional for this job.Management also remains remains a concern for the agents and until they hire from outside things will remain the same.
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protectee (president etc.) is assigned a code name. The names are randomly selected by the Secret Service , starting with the same letter for each family. The Secret Service really do have a hard job. They sacrifice their lives both personel and professional for this job.Management also remains remains a concern for the agents and until they hire from outside things will remain the same.
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LibraryThing member susanamper
Offers some interesting tidbits about presidents past and present. No earth shattering revelations here, but Kessler seems hell bent on shaking up the Secret Service suggesting that it's poorly run organization will one day soon lead to disaster. Not the most elegant of writers, but workmanlike.
LibraryThing member KC9333
While the novel contains some fascinating trivia about the secret service and the men and women in their care, the writing is quite simplistic. Sometimes the dirt reads like a hollywood tell all AND with so many un-named sources it is hard to know how factual it really is.......Despite these
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problems, the reader learns a great deal about the men and women of the secret service. The author certainly did keep my interest and raised valuable questions concerning the protection of our country's leaders. This novel gives secret service officers credit for the important work they do, often without anyone's knowledge. Worth reading but could have been so much better...... Show Less
LibraryThing member francesuzanne
This book is so badly edited that I'm surprised it got published as is. The secrets revealed are shocking - seems every President we've ever had has been a strange sex crazed egomaniac. If you don't mind chapters that jump from one idea to the next every paragraph, then you should read this book
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just for the juicy gossip. Show Less
LibraryThing member iBeth
Lots of dish about former presidents and complaints about poor secret service management. Interesting, though.
LibraryThing member tinLizzy
Have wanted a good book about the Secret Service for awhile now, so was really excited to discover this book. Sadly - it turned out to be disappointing. While there were good tidbits throughout, and overall I learned a fair bit about the SS - there were plenty of annoyances, biases and agendas I
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had to slog through in the process. Overall my rating on it is "meh". Show Less
LibraryThing member WillaCather
Not great literary writing, but interesting none the less.
LibraryThing member yeremenko
This books has surprising depth. The first part of the book seems to be an exercise in genuflection to the agents and reveled in sordid gossip about presidents and their families. To get an idea of the first half of the book's flavor the phrase "well endowed" is used frequently to describe lovers
But the last part of the book is he most interesting and revealing. Kessler outlines in undeniable detail the poor treatment of agents and mismanagement of the service. He shows how budget restraints and increased duties have stretched the secret service thin and left protected people at risk. He is especially critical of the decision to speed crowdsi nto venues without passing through metal detectors to please political staffers wanting big crowds.
There is a bit of Republican bias. to be sure. He tangentially shows that agents had no knowledge of Bill Clinton having affairs, but doesn't refute the rumors either. But. later he states it is impossible for people to hide their affairs from agents.
Excellent book.
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of presidents and one president himself. It is interesting to know what people were like. At times the agents come across as small minded and petty.But the last part of the book is he most interesting and revealing. Kessler outlines in undeniable detail the poor treatment of agents and mismanagement of the service. He shows how budget restraints and increased duties have stretched the secret service thin and left protected people at risk. He is especially critical of the decision to speed crowdsi nto venues without passing through metal detectors to please political staffers wanting big crowds.
There is a bit of Republican bias. to be sure. He tangentially shows that agents had no knowledge of Bill Clinton having affairs, but doesn't refute the rumors either. But. later he states it is impossible for people to hide their affairs from agents.
Excellent book.
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LibraryThing member savageknight
This was an easy and interesting book to read, at first. I love history so learning about the early days and creation of the secret service was fascinating. Even getting a glimpse of the kind of people previous presidents were was eye-opening in some cases. However the last few chapters were spent
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pointing out how inadequate the current situation is and how much it needs to get with the times. Definitely leaves me with a defeatist attitude and with a feeling of inevitable tragedy to come. The world we've built and live in created a need for the service. And now that they've done their job so well, they're being taken for granted. It's a sobering thought. Show Less
LibraryThing member kenkarpay
Seems a bit one-sided (mostly critical of Democratic presidents). However has some great stories. And provides pretty serious criticism of the management and operational challenges facing the Secret Service that should be of great concern to all Americans.
LibraryThing member charlierb3
About: Kessler gives a far-reaching look of the Secret Service by interviewing agents and management as well as touring department facilities.
Pros: Interesting, if true.
Cons: Unremarkable writing, repeats information, photographs bunched in middle, much of book is shallow dirt on Secret Service
Grade: D
Pros: Interesting, if true.
Cons: Unremarkable writing, repeats information, photographs bunched in middle, much of book is shallow dirt on Secret Service
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protectees, if agents really did provide all of this information, they severely violated the tenets of the job, stupid chapter on how a psychic supposedly prevented an assassination, no citations or bibliography.Grade: D
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LibraryThing member indylrm
This book was full of gossip about presidential personalities. What shocked me the most is how secret service agents seemed to be so eager to gossip with the author. As I understand it, most of the gossip has been printed in magazines and newspapers, so no big revelations. I was shocked at the
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author's negatives on the Democratic side, while the love and sweetness was all over the Republican side. The book was obviously partisian. Show Less
LibraryThing member Chase-Brown
This book seems to be very 'jumpy' in its telling of the stories. It also can become dry and even boring at times but it is a very interesting book. For anyone who takes an interest in government it gives you a different perspective on the presidents of our country. The book also provides an
It is very true that much of the talk about the presidents is mainly gossip and may seem as if you are reading people magazine but if you are interested in the presidents it gives you great information. It lets you see what certain presidents were like off the cameras or newspapers and in their personal lives. The difference between the political and personal personalities of the presidents is fascinating and can even change your feelings towards certain presidents. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in history and government. I would not recommend this book to anyone looking for a good story to read or a younger reader. I would rate this a 3 out of 5.
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insight to the secret service and how it is run. I have always thought of the secret service as well very mysterious. Seeing the men in the black suits with the ear pieces reminds me of a James Bond movie and creates a sense of fiction or Hollywood. This book goes in depth as too the practices and experiences of secret service agents. It is very true that much of the talk about the presidents is mainly gossip and may seem as if you are reading people magazine but if you are interested in the presidents it gives you great information. It lets you see what certain presidents were like off the cameras or newspapers and in their personal lives. The difference between the political and personal personalities of the presidents is fascinating and can even change your feelings towards certain presidents. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in history and government. I would not recommend this book to anyone looking for a good story to read or a younger reader. I would rate this a 3 out of 5.
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LibraryThing member Eagleduck86
Let the contents of this book be a cautionary lesson to all future presidents, first family members, presidential candidates, etc:
The Secret Service agents who protect you will eventually give Ronald Kessler all of the embarrassing details about you that they were able to observe, along with a
The Secret Service agents who protect you will eventually give Ronald Kessler all of the embarrassing details about you that they were able to observe, along with a
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candid assessment of how well or poorly you treated the people around you. Show Less
LibraryThing member akreese
I read In the President's Secret Service while riding in the car on vacation with my husband. He can always tell when I am finding a book to be interesting because I will stop every few pages and tell him little tidbits from the book. So that's what I did for our entire drive while reading this
Most of what I knew about the Secret Service prior to reading this book had been gleaned from watching episodes of The West Wing, and movies such as In the Line of Fire. In other words I had a very Hollywood view of the Secret Service.
I was most surprised to find out that the Secret Service was originally formed as a division of the Department of the Treasury in 1865 in order to track down counterfeiters.
At the time, an estimated one third of the nation's currency was counterfeit. States issued their own currency printed by sixteen hundred state banks. Nobody knew what their money was supposed to look like. Page 3
I also didn't know that investigating fraud is still one of their responsibilities, and that they and the FBI sometimes investigate the same cases.
Topics covered in the book range from training and responsibilities of the agents to personal dirt on each of the presidents and their families for the past fifty years. The author also spends a great deal of time focused on ways the agency is lacking (by being short staffed, having old equipment, lack of proper crowd screening at events, etc.), and how this could threaten the security of our leaders.
The book really jumps around a lot from topic to topic. It would switch back and forth from the training of the agents, to gossipy stories about the presidents and their families (which I have to admit were fun to read in the same way as reading tabloid headlines at the checkout counter).
A good deal of the last section of the book is devoted to the inadequacies of the Secret Service. If they are true, then it makes a scary case for the lack of security currently provided for our leaders (and makes me wonder at the wisdom of giving people ideas by outlining the weaknesses of our leaders' protection).
I recommend reading In the President's Secret Service if you don't know very much about the history of the Secret Service or how it operates today. I have to be honest and say that I enjoyed this book the most for its gossipy information about the presidents and their families.
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book (which I'm sure drove him crazy).Most of what I knew about the Secret Service prior to reading this book had been gleaned from watching episodes of The West Wing, and movies such as In the Line of Fire. In other words I had a very Hollywood view of the Secret Service.
I was most surprised to find out that the Secret Service was originally formed as a division of the Department of the Treasury in 1865 in order to track down counterfeiters.
At the time, an estimated one third of the nation's currency was counterfeit. States issued their own currency printed by sixteen hundred state banks. Nobody knew what their money was supposed to look like. Page 3
I also didn't know that investigating fraud is still one of their responsibilities, and that they and the FBI sometimes investigate the same cases.
Topics covered in the book range from training and responsibilities of the agents to personal dirt on each of the presidents and their families for the past fifty years. The author also spends a great deal of time focused on ways the agency is lacking (by being short staffed, having old equipment, lack of proper crowd screening at events, etc.), and how this could threaten the security of our leaders.
The book really jumps around a lot from topic to topic. It would switch back and forth from the training of the agents, to gossipy stories about the presidents and their families (which I have to admit were fun to read in the same way as reading tabloid headlines at the checkout counter).
A good deal of the last section of the book is devoted to the inadequacies of the Secret Service. If they are true, then it makes a scary case for the lack of security currently provided for our leaders (and makes me wonder at the wisdom of giving people ideas by outlining the weaknesses of our leaders' protection).
I recommend reading In the President's Secret Service if you don't know very much about the history of the Secret Service or how it operates today. I have to be honest and say that I enjoyed this book the most for its gossipy information about the presidents and their families.
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LibraryThing member ownedbycats
Quick read and enjoyable.
LibraryThing member Grandy
Excellent read, a book every American Citizen should read to see how corrupt our country is getting, sure would be nice to have some respectable men in office for a change. It is very sad to see how our Secret Service has gone down hill since Homeland Security took them over, also shows that that
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department never should have been set up. Would be nice to see some honesty coming out of Washington for a change. Show Less
LibraryThing member MartinBodek
I have been fascinated by the Secret Service since watching all the coverage on the Reagan assassination attempt when I was a 6 year old boy. (and I continue to be fascinated by poise and mental acuity under stress and adversity). I actually wrote an article on the Secret Service for a defunct
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political magazine that was well received. Adding to the cool factor is that the most quoted agent - and lead of the Clinton detail - is the person to whom my wife reports in his current job in the private sector. A very good book. Show Less
LibraryThing member LivelyLady
Read like a tabloid and I am not sure of the validity. But it was entertaining! If half of it is true, it is amazing. He said that agents are not suppose to reveal what goes on and then he writes a book quoting anonymous agents. So that is what I question. Also he seems very partisan in what is
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printed as if maybe he sought out agents to support those he wanted to support. But entertaining. Show Less
LibraryThing member Meggo
A perfectly serviceable look at the Secret Service, written with knowledge and insider stories. Makes me fear for the protected, however, based on the stories of how thinly stretched the Secret Service is.
LibraryThing member countrylife
Very interesting were the parts where the agents talked about how they were treated by the presidents and their families that they protected. Less interesting, but more important were the interspersed chapters discussing the extra workload put upon agents with more protectees assigned, but no
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increase in budget to cover more agents, and other ways in which their protectees are more at risk now because of bad decisions in the agency. I suppose this is meant to be a warning that changes need to be made, and I hope that such has been the case since this book was published in 2009. Show Less
LibraryThing member 66usma
Interesting. Pretty much as expected with regard to way the respective presidents and their families treated subordinates with the exception of Jimmy Carter.
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2009
Physical description
288 p.; 6.35 inches
ISBN
0307461351 / 9780307461353