Why a Top-Ranked Secret Service Agent Walked Away from It All Life Inside the Bubble

by Dan Bongino

""He swore to take a bullet for the President and left it all behind to take a bullet for the American people""   Why would a successful, twelve-year Secret Service agent resign his position in the prime of his career to run for political office against all the odds?   New York Times  bestseller,  Life Inside the Bubble  is an intimate look at life inside the presidential “bubble,” a haze of staffers, consultants, cronies, acolytes, bureaucrats and lobbyists that creates the “alternate reality” in which monumental policy decisions are made.  And it is the story of a dedicated Secret Service professional who, after years inside the “bubble,” walked away in favor of sounding a clarion call to the American people in defense of sane government and the US Constitution.     Finally, why the Fast & Furious scandal, the bombings in Boston and the terrorist attacks in Benghazi are harbingers of what’s to come without a bold change in direction.

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

207 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 19, 2013

About the author

Daniel John Bongino is a conservative commentator and former Secret Service agent. Bongino is a member of the Republican Party. He is the host of the popular conservative podcast, The Dan Bongino Show.

Reviews

[Janet Pawelek · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm wonderful....blah, blah, blah...I am the best...blah, blah, blah....I got the highest score...blah, blah, blah....I have all the answers to government's problems..blah, blah, blah...
Did not enjoy this egotistical rambling.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is sort of two books in one. The first 2/3rds is Bongino's biography and an account of his time in law enforcement & the Secret Service. It's a compelling story but not unlike other books I've read about Secret Service agents. This part of the book merits 3 stars in my opinion.

The final few chapters give Bongino's assessment of some of the key failures of the Obama Administration and the Federal government in general: Fast & Furious, Benghazi, and the Boston Marathon bombing. This section is very well done and brings welcome clarity to these events. I give this part of the book 4 stars.

Dan Bongino is a good man - just the sort of person we need in a leadership position in government. People in Maryland especially (where Bongino is running for Congress) should pick this book up.

[Shane Grier · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good one.

Of course Mr. Bongino couldn't go into all the details behind protecting the president or how to catch counterfeiters, but the book remained a page turner. I congratulate the author on his convictions and honoring his country. A good book for the political out there.

[Barbara Stafford · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read!

Amazing insight from this man's experience in the Secret Service. A wake up call for those of us who love our country.

[Ricardo Suave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life Inside the Bubble does exactly what the title describes. His book plays upon his experience inside the bubble however I feel so many people that down rated this book due to the book not reading like a national inquire article instead of the what actually happens. He states that “Bureaucracy spawns lack of accountability and lack of accountability spawns indifference”. We see this happening every day in Washington and many other faucets of our government. As citizens I also feel that we forget to realize that there are no rewards for an expected success only punishment for failure. We are failing as a nation look at our economy, civil liberties, foreign policy etc. He explains how the Bureaucrats think how they operate but even more frustrating is how even with all the harsh attacks we as citizens face from our government we accept it. Through America’s great successes we as citizens have become comfortable with our routines, entertainment, and to sound the alarm would take us away from our own insulation. Lastly I wish to point out how he has opened probably one of the biggest take a ways I received from this book is that incentives placed by government are what perverts the system. We have seen this with the fast and the furious, IRS scandal, Benghazi this happens in all faucets of Bureaucracy left and right. Dan holds back no punches, whether democrat or republican he tells it as it is with no fear and a heart full of conviction. GREAT BOOK, Must read for anyone who plans to live in this country through this next election.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

I started this book thinking it would give insight on life inside the White House bubble. Maybe give a glimpse of the president we don't normaly see or at least of the life style of the important, people living there who make it The White House.

Instead we get a glimpse inside 'the bubble' around one secret service agent.
And trust me, it's a very small bubble. (no room for taking about anything but himself)

I wish he'd cut out 3/4 of the random personal stories and very opinionated politics and talked more about those around him.

[Ron Wroblewski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed the book. The first hundred pages were on his experiences as a Secret Service Agent including being on the Presidential Protection of both Bush II and Obama. Then he talks of his failed bid for the US Senate. The many hours put in, rarely at home. The last part of the book is dedicated to the problems of security in 3 events - Fast and Furious, Benghazi, and the Boston Marathon Bombing. I'll soon be reading his other books.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

The title was what caused me to read the book, and my expectations was not to find out secrets but to learn about the endurance, professional and committment of a person in the Secret Services. The fact that he couldn't talk about many things didn't bother me at all, what I wondered was in comments about our current President, why but and after thought it made me wonder was his dislike of the man coloring his opinion. Then his leaving and his future goals which perhaps having this career may help him in his climb in politics. Me, Me, Me, was a bit tiring for me. I wanted to find out about the man and yes, he is a "me" person.

[Mat · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is one of the worst books I have ever read. I have every intention of fully fleshing out this review as time and my patience permit.

I had believed that this book might be an interesting fly-on-the-wall perspective on what it's like to be a secret service agent. Are they like food tasters of yore? Does the secret service make sure Presidential poop remains a state secret, as they did with Reagan?

Almost nothing of interest is discussed in this book.

It is a hamfisted biography riddled with spelling errors and grammatical genocide. I was increasingly appalled as I read the book, culminating in me deciding to write the most scathing rebuke possible. I have made it my personal mission to make sure that no one else pays for this propagandist vomit.

It is a man obviously writing a hagiography on his Boyscout of America-infused, sweet awe-shucks, stellar ascension to the top of the humblest pile of shit imaginable.

I was offended that Mr. Bongino wrote and decided to peddle this tripe.

I hope he is ashamed.

I hope his mother is ashamed.

I genuinely revel at this self-portrayed humble saint in the making was struck down in his hubris, hoping to run for Senate. I can only pray that he is further disabused of his mawkish vainglory when he fails his pathetic bid for the House.

[Jeffrey Carpenter · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was ok and provided an interesting view from inside the Secret Service, but only provided limited information (for obvious reasons). It was a little tedious because of his constant patting himself on the back and repetition in relating his wife's sacrifices because of his career.

Some promotion of this author in interviews he has conducted might lead people to think this book details specifics as to how Obama feels about citizens and his strategy for changing the country, but that is not covered in the book and probably is more attributed to the author's philosophy and not his experiences.

[Mary Lou · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a big Dan Bongino fan and I looked forward to reading his book. He's led a life many of us can't imagine, and "Life Inside the Bubble" gives readers a brief glimpse into his world. Regrettably, it's (necessarily) a very brief glimpse. "Life" loses a star for all the good stories that were left out due to that pesky top secret security clearance. It loses a second star for being redundant - lots of words, phrases, and stories were repeated throughout the book. Still, I learned some things about both the Secret Service, and the man I hope will soon be Congressman.

[Anna · Rating 1 out of 5]

The author is self-aggrandizing to the extreme, and unfortunately the book seems to lack any other substance. It does not provide what the title promises by speaking of what life in the secret service is like, but you are rather forced to listen to the author complain about the sacrifices or his personal life that were involved in working for the Secret Service, while learning absolutely nothing about the supposed theme of the book. Frankly, it was hard to trudge through, and I was only able to finish it as it's a short book and I have a long commute.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy read knocked it out in two sittings. For anyone who has ever lived in the bubble the DC metro area is, an interesting read. As a person who grew up inside the federal government system. My Father worked for the Air Force, and later the Secret Service and retired after thirty years of service. My father would never have been so ballsy as to believe he is more important then the dignitaries he was responsible for. I believe Dan Bongino believes that he is more important than, smarter than, and braver than anyone he has guarded. I enjoyed his patriotism and candor in that he was willing to admit he is a republican straight away so you can see he is leaning very right. His writing is overly ambitious but lacks depth. "He's trying to draw attention to himself and he's hijacking the Secret Service brand," agents who had worked with Bongino told ABCNews.com. "That's all he's got going for him." I am thoroughly unimpressed by his stories since I grew up with a father who was in the same job as Dan and he held his post for the full duration. Watching my dad retire in the China roomof the White House among his 25 close friends and a few dignitaries. Dan Bongino makes the leaving of the secret service out akin to saying bye as you drop off your key the only reward one gets for their service. I assure you it is not nearly the case. I find it unimpressive leaving the secret service after 12 years (despite him believing it was a huge accomplishment). Most Secret Service agents that can cut the mustard live it until they retire. I am not saying each agent makes it a full 30 in the White House Detail, many do just as Dan did taking a Desk job. DC is corrupt news flash-I am sorry no one told you Dan and that you were disenfranchised with how many security agencies work. I did like that towards the end of the book how he speculated on events that he researched and had no connection too. It took even more credibility from his memoir. I believe this is a way to gain some money for another political run. I was also very unimpressed with the way he described the toll it took on his wife and Child. In fact he only mentions that he has a daughter briefly and springs it on you midway through the book. If he was going for the nice republican family man any ghost writer would have made sure he included the courtship, marriage, and having a child. Instead he comes off as a absentee father who blames the lack of family time on his duties. I assure you my father traveled constantly but, he called me every night no matter where he was. It is possible to serve your country, your president, and your family. In the news media he eludes to knowledge that he can not divulge stating: "It's worse than people know. They'd be shocked, scared, if they knew everything." I hate people who employ scare tactics with no details. I bet there are many people in fact many friends who work within the federal system that can agree that there are policies and orders that would shock and scare the American public that is why they are CLASSIFIED! Despite himself there are some good ideas to be had.

[Jonathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book serves a couple of purposes. First, is gives some insight into the life of a Secret Service agent. Cool stuff!!! Second, it provides inside details about events we read about in the news. More cool stuff!!! Lastly, it is his rant about about how our government is failing the people and various solutions he has.

It is this last point that might turn off some people from reading the book, which I purchase cheap off Amazon Kindle. I appreciated his insight into various fiascoes the government has done---Fast & Furious, and Benghazi to name two. His perspective is important, but certainly not a complete picture.

For example, his criticism in the Fast & Furious scandal is that the Justice Department should have prosecuted the case much sooner which would have stopped the sale of guns. He believes the Justice Department has a too high of standard for probable cause before they agree to prosecute. He believes that Justice Department officials just want to "win cases" and therefore will not risk losing a case unless it is iron clad. He is probably right, but does not give the whole picture. I think if he asked federal prosecutors he would realize they have an extremely large case load and they must pick and choose. Picking those which are easy to prosecute allows them to prosecute MORE cases. The goal is to win cases and get bad guys off the streets. Right?

His criticism is real and correct, but does not give a complete picture. However, I did learn how the Justice Department determines which cases to prosecute, which I didn't know before reading the book. I have not spoiled it for you. There is a lot more to it than I just wrote.

I do recommend people reading this book for all three of the reasons I gave. However, just realize he brings a narrow point of view to his analysis of government failures.

[Forrest · Rating 5 out of 5]

"El Amor de lejos es amor de pendejos." -Paula Martinez Bongino
'Love from afar is love for fools'
A phrase Bongino attributes to his wife Paula, a native of Colombia. The long trips and sporadic nature of the Secret Service took a toll on Bongino's family life. This was one of the contributing factors leading him to leave the Secret Service.

Dan served as the top agent of his shift on President Obama's detail during Obama's first term in office. He also worked Hillary's detail during her first Senate campaign and was assigned to Jenna Bush's detail. I knew Dan was a former SS guy, but I didn't know just how high up he was in the department.

Bongino wrote of his Maryland Senate campaign and how his time at the secret service motivated a desire to make a difference in politics. He wrote of the Colombian prostitution scandal and how it personally affected members of his own family. He wrote of the "Fast and Furious" and Benghazi scandals that both plagued the Obama administration and provides insight into the Boston marathon bombing.

The criticism Bongino received from writing this book is purely politically motivated. This is nothing more than a personal memoir and not an exposé on the inner workings of the secret service. Politicians regularly exploit the status they gain from their service in government and the military. What Bongino does here is nothing new.

[Malin Friess · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is far less controversial than Bongino or the title suggests (perhaps some pressure from his editor to increase sales). Bongino was top ranked SS Agent for Bush and Obama. He finally walked away from it all..not because a conspiracy or cover-up, but because the hours were horrendous (he never saw his wife and kids) as he traveled ahead of the president to provide protection..and because he gotten to the point in his career where he could likely earn more as a consultant with regular hours.

Don't get me wrong..the SS does things I could never imagine doing..and live in a constant state of panic/paranoia--as their job is to consider every possible security issue that could go wrong..and each day they have one mission..to make sure the President is alive.

I found the logistics of what the SS does fascinating. How do they prepare for the President and Obama to take a secret trip to Iraq to visit the troops, protect the President and his wife at the Innauguration, or simply allow for the President to go biking (they once lost George Bush).

3 stars. Bongino had complimentary things to say about President Obama and his family even when he disagreed with his politics. I didn't care for his editorializing on "Fast and the Furious" or the incident in Bengazi.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

We have all seen pictures of Secret Service agents next to presidents. Most of us have no idea how they do what they do or their thoughts on many issues. Bongino provides us with a remarkable vision of the behind the scenes action. I really like his first hand account of security. The second half of the book focused on the failures of government agencies--with a mixture of information gleaned from news stories but with the analysis that comes from a first hand account of time spent in the Secret Service.

[Janie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two stars, which GoodReads labels as "it was ok," seems like such a negative rating, but I thought I would "enjoy" this book much more than I did. It's a short-paged book (just under 300 pages), but it took me a lot longer than it should to get through it because my interest wained. The first almost 4/5ths is about Bongino's experience as a secret service agent, and what I found most interesting was learning more about what the Secret Service actually does. The last three chapters of the book were quite informative.

[Joe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Twas just ok, I enjoyed his backstory and time in the secret service... but it suddenly stops storytelling before any climax, and fizzles out with complaints of government red tape and calls for political activism.

[Eric Spradlin · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am not as impressed with Mr Bongino as he obviously is with himself. Book was so-so. When I hear about "brutal" SS fraud cases I shake my head. Don't try to make more of it than it was. The PPD is a decent story, but that was it.

[Chris Macek · Rating 1 out of 5]

Bubbleheaded

Bubbleheaded

this book is nothing more than a guy blowing his own horn. he has aspirations to ascend to the exalted level of senator so he too can live inside the bubble. don't waste your money or time on this book.

[Jim Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the story of the life of a Secret Service Agent who eventually served on the White House Protection Detail. It provides a chronological history of his development from police officer to Secret Service Agent and his experiences including the politics of the Secret Service. Great read.

[Bobbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book detailing Bongino's career in law enforcement and the Secret Service and moving into a discussion of political failures like the Benghazi debacle

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

A drawback to any Secret Service tell-all is that they can’t. Dan Bongino’s fascinating story is a case in point. He hits the highlights of his Secret Service career, but of necessity leaves out details that might support his analysis about the problems agents face doing the almost impossible job we assign them.

To make up for the lack of details Bongino supports his conclusion that police and security in the U.S. are severely hampered by bureaucratic conflicts, laziness and overlap by referring to Fast and Furious, Benghazi, the Boston Marathon disaster, and other incidents.

After a short career with the NYC Police Department, Bongino was accepted into the U.S. Secret Service where he served for 19 years including a stint in the Presidential Protective Division. Citing the 2009 inauguration of Barack Obama as an example of bureaucratic ineffectiveness, he attributes a breakdown that came to be known as the ‘Purple Tunnel of Doom’ to “an overly bureaucratic and unnecessarily segmented federal law-enforcement workforce that has a difficult time with interagency communications and coordination.”

Bongino praises the dedication and commitment of the people in law enforcement in general and the Secret Service in particular, arguing it is the system that contributes to breakdowns rather than failures by the men and women in the field. An alternative or some might say compounding explanation, which he alludes to at times, is the failure of leadership.

While the issues related to interagency communications and bureaucratic “laziness” are real, the success or failure of law enforcement should be laid on the policies of those in charge, from the President on down. Bongino’s description of what went wrong that cost four lives in Benghazi is a perfect example. It was the decision of Deputy Assistant Secretary Charlene Lamb to deny the request for extra Diplomatic Security Service agents that resulted in a situation where the absence of sufficient manpower to resist the attack led the loss of four lives. The unstated but clearly present political rationale for Lamb’s decision was the narrative of the 2012 election that “al-Qaeda is on the run.”

After serving inside the presidential bubble including guarding George Bush and Barack Obama, Bongino was reassigned to the Baltimore office and found time to reflect on what he’d learned and where he wanted to take his life. “I began to burn with a desire to stop watching from the front row and instead get involved in the political fight.” That desire led to his resigning from the Secret Service in May 2011 and throwing his hat into the ring of the 2012 Maryland U.S. Senatorial race. Although Bongino won the GOP nomination, he lost the general election to incumbent Benjamin Cardin, who was aided when a former candidate for the Senate entered the race as an independent.

Life Inside the Bubble whets the reader’s appetite for more concrete details about his recommendations to remedy the problems Bongino saw in U.S. security operations. Fortunately, he answers that need in a subsequent work, “The Fight, A Secret Service Agent’s Inside Account of Security Failings and the Political Machine.” Look for my review of that work under the book’s title.

[Rick Wahler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Secret Service Pres Port Detail with commentary

I found the first half of the book pretty average, with the author's descriptions of his service on the presidential protection detail. The book by Clint Hill, 5 Presidents, who served presidents Eisenhower thru Ford, is more complete and better written in this area. It gets better when Bognino writes about scandals including Fast & Furious and Benghazi, how the complex and competing bureaucracy, as well as decisions made for political reasons and ideological bias, hampers investigations and weakens our security. He offers valuable suggestions on how things could be improved.

[Vince Cooper · Rating 2 out of 5]

What would have made Life Inside the Bubble better?
It would be easy to say more stories about the Presidents the author worked for, but the author might simply not have that many to tell.
What was most disappointing about Dan Bongino’s story?
The book was really about him, not like other books from former USSS agents.
What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?
No reaction
Any additional comments?
If you are interested in stories about life inside the USSS, try First Family Detail or Crisis of Character.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the information about the secret service and what is done by them behind the scenes. Dan had a good experience and a great eye-awakening on the government and so glad that he made the right decisions. He has a good heart and good intentions and I enjoyed reading his experience. It makes me shake my head more at our government hearing this confirmation about how they really operate. God help us to appoint good leaders for our country.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting autobiography of a former NYC police officer and 12-year Secret Service agent who protected 2 presidents. Interesting to read the stories of an insider. I heard him interviewed and was impressed with his values, his experiences, and his dedication to action and to doing what he thinks is right. He is a much better speaker than writer, however. If you get a chance to hear him speak, take it. However, this book doesn't do credit to his passion.

[Marge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely well written & fascinating as to the different security agencies in the Federal government. I had no idea there were so many.

This is not a "revenge" story at all. Dan's frustration of "living in the bubble" is told with candor & honesty. It is obvious that he has great respect for law enforcement & the Secret Service & he admirably performed his duties well for the 12 years he was in the Secret Service.

It is definitely a must read.

[Angus McLean · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a bad read, if you can get past the author's grandstanding-difficult when he is an aspiring politician.

Interesting to read about some of the behind the scenes goings-on, and the job of protecting the First Family certainly sounds very pressured. Try elsewhere if you're looking for gossip.

There are other similar books around which I preferred, but I knocked this one off in a few days without too much effort.