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Painting Over Rust: Stories From a 20 Year Odyssey in the FBI

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Winner of the 2023 IAN Book of the Year Award in the Government/Politics Category
CIBA 2023 Journey Award Shortlist
SPR 2022 Book Awards Finalist
CIBA 2023 Military and Front Line Non-Fiction Shortlist

A personal memoir that vividly describes life inside America’s most prestigious and controversial law enforcement agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In a career spanning 20 years, Fuller had a front-row seat to the activity and sweeping changes within the FBI in the opening decades of the 21st century. Written with a clarity and humor not usually found in a career federal investigator, Fuller recounts the seminal events of his career as an FBI Special Agent. In doing so, he takes us along through his days as a new agent trainee at the Academy in Quantico, Virginia, various criminal investigations, 9/11 and the immediate response, interrogations in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and missions while attached to military units in Afghanistan. From his work chasing those who target children for sexual exploitation, including hunting, capturing, and convicting one he put on the Top 10 Fugitive list, to the inner workings of Capitol Hill while assigned there as part of the FBI’s Office of Congressional Affairs, Fuller walks us through it all, with refreshing honesty and self-deprecating humor. Whether offering his unique perspective on his fellow “brick agents” or the four FBI Directors he worked for and with during his time “on the job”, he provides valuable and unvarnished first-person observations that will inform anyone interested in what it is really like to have been a member of the storied FBI.

Audible Audio

Published February 25, 2024

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About the author

T.C. Fuller

4 books6 followers

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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
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242 reviews4 followers
May 20, 2023
Bravo! A self deprecating tale of a twenty year career was a Special Agent of the FBI, author (and friend), TC Fuller has written a wonderful story of his experiences with law enforcement at its highest level. Details of how we got here to a review of where we are going is written with a clear style and level head. Names have been changed to protect the innocent, with the exception of the five FBI Directors he served under during his career. You will laugh out loud, you may shake your head as some government bureaucracy and you may cringe. You will come away with a personal story and a face to the men and women who serve us every day as Brick Agents
Highly recommend
Author 4 books6 followers
April 5, 2023
A brilliant read, but I admit to a certain degree of bias...
3 reviews1 follower
March 14, 2023
An excellent account of an Agent's career

The use of pseudonyms helped prevent hurt feelings - having been mentioned in the book in two places brought back fond memories of TC.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews

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