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The FBI's Most Famous Cases
250 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 1967
About the author
Andrew Tully
58 books Andrew F. Tully Jr., (October 24, 1914 - Sept 27, 1993), author, columnist and war reporter was one of the first American reporters to enter conquered Berlin in April 1945.
His writing career spanned six decades and his works included several novels and popular nonfiction books on the workings of Washington, where he was a syndicated political columnist for more than 20 years. In 1962, Mr. Tully had both a novel, Capital Hill, and a nonfiction book, C.I.A.: The Inside Story, on the New York Times's best-seller lists.
He started working for newspapers while still in high school, as a sports reporter for his hometown daily newspaper in Southbridge, Mass. At 21, he bought the town's weekly newspaper, The Southbridge Press, for about $5,000 with loans from friends, making him the youngest newspaper publisher in America. He sold the paper two years later and became a reporter at The Worcester Gazette in Worcester, Mass., leaving there to become a correspondent in Europe for The Boston Traveler during World War II.
He began writing his own column in 1961, which came to be called Capital Fare, and was syndicated in more than 150 newspapers at its peak.
He was the author of 16 books in all, including Where Did Your Money Go? with Milton Britten, an examination of foreign aid, and Supreme Court, a novel.
His writing career spanned six decades and his works included several novels and popular nonfiction books on the workings of Washington, where he was a syndicated political columnist for more than 20 years. In 1962, Mr. Tully had both a novel, Capital Hill, and a nonfiction book, C.I.A.: The Inside Story, on the New York Times's best-seller lists.
He started working for newspapers while still in high school, as a sports reporter for his hometown daily newspaper in Southbridge, Mass. At 21, he bought the town's weekly newspaper, The Southbridge Press, for about $5,000 with loans from friends, making him the youngest newspaper publisher in America. He sold the paper two years later and became a reporter at The Worcester Gazette in Worcester, Mass., leaving there to become a correspondent in Europe for The Boston Traveler during World War II.
He began writing his own column in 1961, which came to be called Capital Fare, and was syndicated in more than 150 newspapers at its peak.
He was the author of 16 books in all, including Where Did Your Money Go? with Milton Britten, an examination of foreign aid, and Supreme Court, a novel.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
April 12, 2019
I thoroughly enjoyed most of the stories/cases in this book, but the ending chapters, as well as the FBI's... "complicated" record under J. Edgar Hoover (who was still director when this was published, and in fact wrote the foreword, afterword, and provided some generic chapter quotes) make it a little harder to judge. 3.5 stars, rounded down in this case.
The first section about kidnaping was really interesting, and it was cool to see how the FBI operated under these five cases and when they could legally enter, how they worked, what they did.
The next five were about thieves and bank robbers and they were also very interesting. The stolen interstate beef truck was especially novel. The bank robber tales and involvement of infamous criminals and their gangs was fascinating too - a bizarre part of American history.
The cloak and dagger section was probably my favorite. This is the actual spycraft and espionage the FBI engaged in against Nazis, Communists, etc. This is also when the FBI's involvement was hyped up the most in comparison with what they actually did in some cases... I mean a couple of cases were very interesting but also people just turned themselves in.
The two airplane stories, a hijacking and a bombing, were also very interesting.
Finally, though, it ended with a few cases in civil rights. Already you know we're getting into touchy territory. This book was written in the mid 60s so some of the language is a little jarring now, but only because what words and phrases are more socially acceptable has changed in the half century since publication. But the FBI's involvement in civil rights is pretty messy. Notably the book did not try to gloss over the many failings of the FBI here, it noted plenty, but it didn't mention the harm the FBI and Hoover did in many cases either. It did do a good job of helping clear up that the FBI can only gather information, and even when the evidence it gathers seems airtight, if the jury is also comprised of racist assholes, it's a problem but it's not the FBI that messed it up.
The book threw a lot of shade on Mississippi and the deep south in general which I think is completely deserved and helped score some points with me. But finishing up with this section was a big change in tone from the rest of the book and, while honest, certainly complicated things.
The foreword and afterword by Hoover were pretty much what you'd expect, not bad but definitely propaganda, but the short chapter on all the agents who had been killed up to this point was touching.
Anyway, interesting book, and still well worth the read.
The first section about kidnaping was really interesting, and it was cool to see how the FBI operated under these five cases and when they could legally enter, how they worked, what they did.
The next five were about thieves and bank robbers and they were also very interesting. The stolen interstate beef truck was especially novel. The bank robber tales and involvement of infamous criminals and their gangs was fascinating too - a bizarre part of American history.
The cloak and dagger section was probably my favorite. This is the actual spycraft and espionage the FBI engaged in against Nazis, Communists, etc. This is also when the FBI's involvement was hyped up the most in comparison with what they actually did in some cases... I mean a couple of cases were very interesting but also people just turned themselves in.
The two airplane stories, a hijacking and a bombing, were also very interesting.
Finally, though, it ended with a few cases in civil rights. Already you know we're getting into touchy territory. This book was written in the mid 60s so some of the language is a little jarring now, but only because what words and phrases are more socially acceptable has changed in the half century since publication. But the FBI's involvement in civil rights is pretty messy. Notably the book did not try to gloss over the many failings of the FBI here, it noted plenty, but it didn't mention the harm the FBI and Hoover did in many cases either. It did do a good job of helping clear up that the FBI can only gather information, and even when the evidence it gathers seems airtight, if the jury is also comprised of racist assholes, it's a problem but it's not the FBI that messed it up.
The book threw a lot of shade on Mississippi and the deep south in general which I think is completely deserved and helped score some points with me. But finishing up with this section was a big change in tone from the rest of the book and, while honest, certainly complicated things.
The foreword and afterword by Hoover were pretty much what you'd expect, not bad but definitely propaganda, but the short chapter on all the agents who had been killed up to this point was touching.
Anyway, interesting book, and still well worth the read.
Displaying 1 of 1 review