Standing Next to History: An Agent's Life Inside the Secret Service

by Joseph Petro, Jeffrey Robinson

Standing Next to History presents the extraordinary account of Ronald Reagan's Secret Service bodyguard with stories that will make even a diehard "West Wing" fan go speechless.

Joseph Petro served for 23 years as a special agent in the United States Secret Service; eleven of them with presidents and vice presidents. For four of those years he stood by the side of Ronald Reagan.

Following his career as a Navy Lieutenant, during which he patrolled the rivers and canals along the Vietnamese-Cambodian border, he worked his way up through the Secret Service to become one of the key men in charge of protecting the President. That journey through the Secret Service provides an individual look inside the most discreet law enforcement agency in the world, and a uniquely intimate account of the Reagan presidency.

Engagingly, Joseph Petro tells "first hand" stories riding horses with the Reagans; eluding the press and sneaking the President and Mrs. Reagan out of the White House; rehearsing assassination attempts and working, then re-working every detail of the president's trips around the world; negotiating the president's protection with the KGB; diverting a 26 car presidential motorcade in downtown Tokyo; protecting Vice-President Dan Quayle at Rajiv Gandhi's funeral where he was surrounded by Yassir Arafat's heavily armed bodyguards; taking charge of the single largest protective effort in the history of the Secret Service-Pope John Paul II's 1987 visit to the United States; and being only one of three witnesses at the private meeting between President Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev that ushered in the end of the Cold War.

Joseph Petro provides an original and fascinating perspective of the Secret Service, the inner workings of the White House and a little seen view of world leaders, as a man who stood next to history.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography, Politics, Memoir, Biography Memoir, Autobiography

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Mike (HistoryBuff) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This memoir by Mr. Petro is a solid, easy-to-read account of his time in the Secret Service. The writing flows well, and it’s packed with stories that give you a peek behind the curtain of presidential life. His time with President Reagan was especially entertaining—funny, heartwarming, and full of little personal details that make you feel like you’re right there.

Honestly, the chapters about his work with various presidents and vice presidents were the most fascinating. You get a sense of who these leaders were beyond the public eye. And I don’t want to skip over his time in Vietnam—that part of the book adds a lot of depth and is an integral part of his life.

There were a few moments where the stories felt a bit trivial, and they pulled me out of the narrative a little. But overall, it’s a good memoir with plenty of insight and personality.

If you're curious about what it’s really like to protect the most powerful people in the country—and want a few laughs and touching moments along the way—this book delivers.

[HR-ML · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked Petro's professionalism in this book. He explained
the initial and on-going training a Secret Service officer
(SSO) required, various aves for career paths : protection
of the President, Vice President or visiting heads of state
(or final POTUS candidates), intelligence, counterfeit cash
or check investigations, public affairs, technical expertise
(TSD).

Petro spent 11 yrs in the White House, detailed to protect
the President, (POTUS) & then the Vice President (VPOTUS).
He voiced the SSO did not have to like the protectee or agree
with his political views or agenda. He or she (the SSO) had
to be professional. He thought a convo a POTUS & SSO had
should be considered "privileged" and not subject to a sub-
poena unless it involved illegal activity. He noted the SSOs
had to keep up w/ the POTUS or VPOTUS or Pres. candidate
when he/ she wanted to jog, ski, ride a horse, scuba dive etc.
The Secret Svc tried to match the officer to the skill set
required.

Petro readily admitted he did not feel reliable for his wife &
daughter due to the travel required by his job. He missed
special family events. Ultimately he and his wife divorced.
He later re-connected w/ his college era girlfriend.

Petro thought the SSO was better served under the Treasury
Dept umbrella rather than the current Homeland Security.
Also law enforcement IE Capitol Police, SSO, FBI, diplomat
protection svc, did not always agree on jurisdiction or
who had the final authority, in a certain situation.

Petro was charged w/ planning (8 mos.) Pope John Paul the
2nd's 10 day visit to the US in 1987. A crazed man tried to kill
this Pope in 1981. Petro was unprepared for the emotional
(love/ affection) response toward the Pope. My fav scene:
when an archbishop insisted the Pope leave the Popemobile
and Petro insisted he not (for safety). Why did protectees
or their associates 2nd guess the Secret Service? Another
associate told the Pope in Polish: "do whatever Joe (Petro)
says." The Pope stayed put.

A fascinating book.

[Bobharman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an excellent book, written by a man who's career was both as an agent and as a manager in the US Secret service for 23 years, the major portion of which was served at the White House. I have recently read another book, by a much better known aurthor, which was nothing but an expose of human foibles and was filled with embarassing information about many of the Presidents. His information may have been true, I don't know, but I think it should have been left un-said and private. That kind of information may be interesting to some, but in my opinion Joseph Petro's book is much more interesting and it isn't filled with scandalous information, all though it does give us good and interesting information, stories and anecdotes, about what goes on behind the sceens with those protectees, for which Mr Petro was responsible to safe guard. It is also a good book, from my point of view, because it is not a political book. It is a fascinating book, portraying Secret Service life and their work and what it is like to be in the presence of the most powerful men of the world, as history was being made.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book.

Petro presents an overview of his career. He begins with former President Ronald Reagan to establish his bona fides and the purpose of the Secret Service. After introducing the reader to the Secret Service both explicitly through his narration and in context through an anecdote, he goes back in time to follow his career chronologically.

One of the reasons I loved this book is that Petro really does a fantastic job of conveying the weight of responsibility he felt while being on the investigative and protective sides of the Secret Service. I'd always thought of the Secret Service agents protecting the president as being men who had sworn to take a bullet for the President, but Petro is very up front in saying that that's not the case -- the Secret Service is to manage and reduce risk to the President so that nobody has to take a bullet, period.

Another great thing about this book is that Petro is very non-partisan in his narratives. He has praise and veiled criticism of people on both sides, almost always relating to his job guarding them. Yes, he praises Reagan a lot, and I get the sense that that's simply because Reagan was a good person regardless of his policies. Similarly, he criticizes Dan Quayle (and his wife), also a Republican, but purely from a protective standpoint -- but he also praises them when praise is merited.

I was surprised to find that this book was interesting despite Petro's unwillingness to gossip. I will admit that I read this book hoping to find out about former Presidents' private lives, but there isn't much of that here in the gossip sense. Petro does occasionally talk about private moments that involve him personally, but never about things that he witnessed. He even driectly brings this up in the epilogue of the book.

Petro's authorial voice is down-to-earth and easy to trust. I found all of this book -- from the narratives, to the explanations to him voicing his worries about the future of the Secret Service -- riveting and interesting. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone remotely interested in American history, knowing more about what it's like to be a President, or in the Secret Service itself.

Interestingly enough, because of the stories that Petro tells, I would also recommend this book to people who are interested in effective communication and teamwork. This book is not meant to teach about those topics directly, but Petro's style as an agent provides a lot of anecdotes to study.

[Joe Habich · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very interesting. My brother is a police officer and as soon as I finished it I gave it to him to read. He always said he wanted to be in the secret service. This book has some great insight into what the Secret Service does for our Presidents, VP's and other dignitaries. I found Joe Petro's narrative to be captivating. I really enjoyed this book.

[Glenn Dettwiler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joseph Petro was in the Secret Service during a time that I remembered when I was with the Reagan Ranch detail.. His book is a true account of the service at that time. His account with the Reagan's brought back many fond memories... Unfortunately, the service has changed since its inclusion into Homeland Security and in light of recent events...

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a well written book. I learned a lot. I became quite interested in the Secret Service after going to the Reagan Library.

[Stacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really a 3.5 star book, rather than 3 stars. There are a lot of "wow" moments in this book which made it worth reading for me, but the overall style of the book makes it hard to rate it higher than 3.5 stars. There were many cool bits of info about the Secret Service and many interesting stories about the agent's time protecting various people (Ronald Reagan, The Pope, etc). However, it was almost too clinical at times. At one point he mentions his wife and daughter and alludes to the challenges of a family while working on the Presidential Protective Division. But it's so brief that I actually thought I clicked forward too quickly and skipped a page. Then at the end of the book you discover they divorced and he talks about his new wife in a couple of sentences. It's all done so briefly that you feel like you're missing pages or something. A more personal account would have been a much more interesting read. I understand that agents have to be very precise and professional in their career, but a little more emotion would have really improved the reading of this book (don't get me wrong, I don't need it to be all mushy and gooey with feeling). It definitely was a quick and easy read, so if you don't mind getting only a few cool tidbits of info about the secret service and this agent's details with little emotion, you'll enjoy reading it.

[Serri · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a little disappointed in this book but mostly because I was expecting something different. I was expecting to gain insight and hear, ideally, some great stories about Reagan behind the scenes. Instead the book was more an account of a Secret Service agent's experience protecting Presidents, VPs, and important heads of State. From that perspective it was good -- though often felt like it was written as a summary report for the Agency rather than a novel or story. While interesting, for these reasons, I gave it 3 rather than 4 stars though it was still a good read.

[Jenny Slagor · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was so interesting to see the "inside" of the Secret Service. I was so saddened by his personal story, but the career was so great! It lacks a lot of political skewing, but still lets you into the Reagan oval office. Loved it.

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a really interesting, behind-the-scenes take on what it is like to be a Secret Service agent. I think his admiration of Reagan kind of colors the stories about him, but it's an excellent (and quick) read.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Engaging narrative, with good tone, and an insider's view. There were also a couple of good leadership lessons at the end. I debated rating it a 5. If you like White House stories, or history in general, you'll probably enjoy this.

[Ronald J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

An insider’s account of what it’s like to protect Presidents, Vice Presidents, the Pope, and even people you don’t like. At various times Petro protected Yassir Arafat and Fidel Castro. The Secret Service: “You elect ’em, we protect ’em,”. I learned the legislation creating the Secret Service was on Abraham Lincoln’s desk waiting to be signed on the night he was assassinated. those days, a reported one-third of the currency then in circulation in the United States was Lincoln’s idea was to create the nation’s first federal law-enforcement agency, housed in the Treasury Department, to protect all the financial instruments of the United States. A change in the mission of the Secret Service began in 1901, in the aftermath of the assassination of President William McKinley—the third president to be killed in thirty-six years—Congress directed the Secret Service to protect the president. Today, protection is the Secret Service’s primary responsibility. Following the Robert Kennedy assassination, 1968 mission was expanded to protect presidential candidates as well, and the president can order the Secret Service to protect anyone under threat. The protection afforded the president and the vice president is statutory. They have no choice in the matter. Would Bobby Kennedy have been murdered by Sirhan Sirhan if he’d had Secret Service protection? Petro’s answer is a qualified no. Along with the military aide who carries the football, the other person who is never far from the president’s side is the doctor. “Most of the disturbing calls we take are either from people in mental institutions or from very disturbed people who ought to be. My guess is that such calls account for about 95 percent of the threats against the president and vice president.” Petro was in charge of Reagan’s protective detail for four years (1983-86). An interesting read if you’re interested in presidential history, along with some great insider information on how they are protected.

Memorable Facts:
The navy doesn’t live as well as the air force, and a four-star general there once told me why. “When we get an appropriation from Congress to build an air force base,” he said, “we build the Officers’ Club, the Enlisted Men’s Club, the NCO Club, the commissary, the movie theater, and all the other creature comforts. Then we go back to Congress for a supplemental to build the runway. What can they say?”

“How much are you worth?” Rocky’s [Nelson Rockefeller] answer was “I don’t know,” and he probably didn’t. The figures being bandied about ranged from $30 million to $1 billion. “Are you going to take a salary as vice president?” Rocky inquired, “By the way, how much is it?” When he was told, sixty thousand dollars a year, he made a face, nodded several times, and said, “Sure, why not?”

The president told us that when he was making those movies, the studio deafened the horses so that they wouldn’t react to gunfire.

Lejeune dug in his heels. “The queen of England will have one security agent, President Mitterand of France will have one, and President Reagan of the United States will have one.” I refused to back down, and, in pique, Lejeune declared, “There will be no Americans on Utah Beach.” He’d crossed the line, and I was furious. “You didn’t say that in 1944, and you’re not going to say it tomorrow. This is nonnegotiable. I am not asking your permission, and I am not looking for an answer. Whether you like it or not, we will have three agents on Utah Beach. One will be at the stage, and two will walk with the president.” sensibly he did not force the issue.

The Soviet military aide was sitting there with his “soccer ball” right next to Casey Bower, our military aide with “the football.” Looking at them, I realized that the codes in this room could blow up the entire planet several times over. For the first, and possibly the only time, the American nuclear codes were within a foot of the Soviet nuclear codes. I stared at them for the longest time, then asked both military-aides out loud, “What if we all have to leave in a hurry and you two guys grab the wrong suitcases?”

Reagan in July 1986 when he told a huge crowd in New York Harbor, “You know, I received an invitation that said please come to Ellis Island on July 4 for the hundredth birthday celebration of an American institution. Somebody goofed. My birthday is not until February.”

[Bob Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

I spent most of my career as a reporter and editor at a small California daily newspaper. In that role I co-existed with Secret Service agents twice ... that I know of.

Once was when Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip landed at a nearby Air Force base and I was assigned to cover their arrival for a visit to Yosemite National Park. Three agents died in a car accident while securing the roadway a few miles in advance of her car.

The second time was when then Vice President George H.W. Bush was campaigning for president in 1988 and stopped for lunch in our city before making an impromptu talk in the middle of Main Street. I and two of my staffers got up close and personal with agents that time. It’s hard to forget the suited men with hands in a black bag with fingers on an uzi.


Petro’s book offers an inside look at this demanding, stressful job - a type and degree of stress most of us will never know.

It’s a worthwhile read.

[Lise R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting look at an often misunderstood job

Generally speaking I liked this book pretty much, it’s well written, easy to read, interesting, full of personal anecdotes, etc.
And I would have rated it better if it wasn’t for chapter 10: an American saying of French people that they’re arrogant is what in my country we call “ a donkey speaking of ears”;to say that Reagan, in France, during an event commemorating the disembarkment in France , attended by the President of France ( and the Queen of England) was the most popular person, THIS is arrogant!; and for the author to complain of his French counterpart pretending not to speak English when he himself is in France but doesn’t speak French...I didn’t like chapter 10 at all.
But the rest of the book is very enjoyable!

[Lynn Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book but not as much as I thought I would. It wasn't quite as interesting as I thought it might be. This might possibly be due to the fact many things the author heard and read, he did not want to break the confidence of his position. He briefly mentioned this when talking about the Clinton/Lewinsky scandal and how revealing personal things could endanger protecting the president as it might make the protectee withdraw from protection. He served several Presidents, and it is easy to figure out his favorite was Ronald Reagan. I would have liked it if the author had made the account more straight forward timeline wise, as he did skip around at points which could confuse readers.

[patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read about the life of the lead Secret Service agent in protection of the president. Mr. Petro spent his agency career as lead agent for President Reagan, Carter, Gorbachov's visit and some time with Nixon, and the biggest and most detailing was guarding the Pope during his visit to the United States.
He gives details to the intricate work that goes into planning and executing the security. Constantly on the clock and at beck and call of the agency. Hard on the family life, in fact they hardly have one, and the job is priority. Mr. Petro tells the story well and it is definitely worth while read and a good glimpse of history.

[Charles Denyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read from a top U.S. Secret Service agent who definitely had a front-row view of the American presidency. Special Agents in Charge (SAIC) go literally everywhere with the President of the United States (and Vice President of the United States), and Petro's stories do not disappoint. As a close friend to many of America's former vice presidents, it was no doubt interesting to hear Petro's stories in guarding them. There is quite a bit of information on how the U.S. Secret Service protects our leaders, thus, some of it will be quite enlightening to those who are unfamiliar with their protocol and protection measures.

[Karen Barnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captivating

I mostly read nonfiction books. I always thought that President Reagan was an interesting man, so I thought I would give it a try. I throughly enjoyed this book. The ins and outs and thoughts on how to protect someone were intriguing. I loved reading the personal, behind the scene stories. It takes a special kind of person to work for the Secret Service. Mr. Petro took his job seriously and sacrificed much of his personal life, but he had an important job, protecting some very important people.

[Larry · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a person interested in history, politics and just being nosey, this book by a former secret service agent is fascinating. Mr. Petro served as protective agent for presidents, vice-presidents, even Pope John Paul II. His inside information about the operation of the service, interaction with the people he protected, and the organization of the secret service was informative and sometimes eye-opening. For four years he was next to or behind Ronald Reagan at every event, meeting, and meal. This is one I had difficulty putting down, even when I was eating lunch.

[Beverly Hollandbeck · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a respectful, insightful look at the author's 23-year career with the Secret Service, serving a multitude of positions, among which were agent to Ronald Reagan and Dan Quayle. Respectful and insightful also describes Petro's attitude toward his job and his "protectorees," regardless of the politics and/or attitude of the person. He perfectly demonstrates the stress and the sacrifices of Secret Service agents without complaining. A great read.

[Den · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a child of the 80's many of the comments about Regan were new to me. However, I have to say Joseph Petro truly made you feel like you were there while he was doing his thing.

What shocked me, was the somewhat political manipulation that goes on in the secret service. Truly makes you understand how the role of a secret service agent has evolved and expanded over the years. I hope to read another book like this one, but was written by someone like J. Petro after the 9/11 crisis.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

In his 23 years with the Secret Service, Joe Petro protected Jerry Ford, Nelson Rockefeller, Ronald Reagan, Dan Quayle, Pope John Paul II, and many others. The book is part memoir and part history of the Secret Service, detailing responsibilities most people don't know or think about. The book is well written and very interesting.

Recommended.

[Clint · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always enjoy reading books about those with access to presidents. Each offers different stories than readers of typical biographies and autobiographies get. This one, by a Secret Service agent, told stories of working with presidents (Reagan) and Vice Presidents (Rockefeller, Quayle) and other special protectees (Pope John Paul II) and how the protective division has changed over the years.

[mary m miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unexpected surprise.

Not sure what prompted me to purchase this book as it is so not within the realms of my usual reading material. But I truly enjoyed learning about the workings of the Secret Service and the presidents, vice presidents and dignitaries the author served. Easy to read, I felt the principals "come alive" in ways you do not normally see in the evening news.

[Edward Saucedo · Rating 5 out of 5]

True Excellence!

This book is a must read for anyone who has ever wondered what having the enormous responsibility of protecting the President entails. Very professionally written! A great book!

[Jerald Hoskelis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being that I worked at the White House in the 60's I could relate to the problems, travel and living conditions. This job is really had on family life and many are not able to adjust to this type of life style.

[Patricia Crook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Standing Next to History

Such an interesting and informative book! I was in awe of all the work and sacrifice that Secret Service Agents go through. I loved how the author made President Reagan so real and human. I would recommend this book to anyone.

[John Shoemaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never read a book to the very end . But I did with this one.

Thanks, Joe. I was never a fan of Ronald Reagan, but I was impressed with your experience with him. Your experience with Dan Quayle did not surprise me.

[Roy Ringer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Writing!

Usually not the type of book I would read. But it was well written with a lot of behind the scenes stories that give a rare insight to the Secret Service. I totally enjoyed this book & highly recommend it.