The Bureau: The Secret History of the FBI

An award-winning investigative reporter reveals the "chilling . . . fascinating" secret history of the FBI ( Washington Post ).

No institution is as critically important to America's security. No American institution is as controversial. And, after the White House, Congress, and the Supreme Court, no institution is as powerful. Yet until now, no book has presented the full story of the FBI.

Based on exclusive interviews—including the first interview with Robert Mueller since his nomination as director— The Bureau reveals why the FBI was unprepared for the attacks of September eleven and how the FBI combats terrorism. The book answers such questions as: Why did the FBI know nothing useful about al-Qaeda before September 11? What is really behind the FBI's more aggressive investigative approaches that have raised civil liberties concerns? What does the FBI think of improvements in airline security? How safe does the FBI think America really is?

The New York Times –bestselling author of Inside the White House , Ronald Kessler answers these questions and presents the definitive history of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Bureau reveals startling information—from J. Edgar Hoover's blackmailing of Congress to the investigation of the September 11th attacks.

"A compelling and timely exposition of the real FBI." — Los Angeles Times

"An insightful history of the agency from its inception . . . reveals unexpected details surrounding a number of well-known cases." — The Providence Journal-Bulletin