In Deep: The FBI, the CIA, and the Truth about America's "Deep State"

by David Rohde

Three-quarters of Americans believe that a group of unelected government and military officials secretly manipulate or direct national policy in the United States. President Trump blames the "deep state" for his impeachment. But what is the American "deep state" and does it really exist?


To conservatives, the “deep state” is an ever-growing government bureaucracy, an "administrative state" that relentlessly encroaches on the individual rights of Americans. Liberals fear the "military-industrial complex"—a cabal of generals and defense contractors who they believe routinely push the country into endless wars. Every modern American president—from Carter to Trump—has engaged in power struggles with Congress, the CIA, and the FBI. Every CIA and FBI director has suspected White House aides of members of Congress of leaking secrets for political gain. Frustrated Americans increasingly distrust the politicians, unelected officials, and journalists who they believe unilaterally set the country’s political agenda. American democracy faces its biggest crisis of legitimacy in a half century.


This sweeping exploration examines the CIA and FBI scandals of the past fifty years, from the Church Committee’s exposure of Cold War abuses, to Abscam, to false intelligence about Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction, to NSA mass surveillance revealed by Edward Snowden. It then investigates the claims and counterclaims of the Trump era, and the relentless spread of conspiracy theories online and on-air. While Trump says he is the victim of the "deep state," Democrats accuse the president and his allies of running a de facto "deep state" of their own that operates outside official government channels and smears rivals, both real and perceived.


The feverish debate over the "deep state" raises core questions about the future of American democracy. Is it possible for career government officials to be politically neutral? Was Congress’s impeachment of Donald Trump conducted properly? How vast should the power of a president be? Based on dozens of interviews with career CIA operatives and FBI agents, In Deep answers whether the FBI, CIA, or politicians are protecting or abusing the public’s trust.

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics, History, Audiobook, Government, Current Affairs, American History

352 pages, Hardcover

First published April 21, 2020

Reviews

[Tom Schulte · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I did not find this as engaging and colorful as I hoped somehow from the author's interview on NPR, this was educational. It charts the post-Watergate landscape of executive power and its containment in the U.S. government. This starts, of course, with Nixon's overreach through to the IG Act of 1978 enacted by President Jimmy Carter, through to that system in use and in confrontation.

As would be expected, a significant part is the Trump administration with special emphasis on Attorney General Barr, Trump's impeachment and Comey.

[James Mc Donald · Rating 1 out of 5]

The issue for me reading this is the author admits at the beginning of the publication he’s part of the illegal effort in releasing classified information from the White House which is a federal offence that will put you in jail for 10 years for each count. You will not see this fact from people supporting this junk, why is that?

As a reminder, Congressman Chuck Schumer reported live on national television that the intelligence agencies have 7 ways from Sunday at getting back at you. You will not see this from people supporting this junk, why is that? The author only referenced JFK three times in this book all while claiming there is no deep state, why is that? The author failed to reference the relationship between the CIA, Cocaine and opium, why is that?

The author eventually writes about the damage done to the FBI because of leaking/passing classified info from the FBI however the author seems to think what he’s been a part of is ok and attempted to suggest that his part in releasing classified info from the White house is righteous is just damn insulting, specifically after the author tried to imply Trump was acting sort of strange after 6 months in the white house all while forgetting to point out there’s been over 100 leaks of classified information out of the White House in that same 6 months. That’s a thousand years in jail and I really, really hope some of these people that are a part of the deep state will get to share a part of that thousand years and to be sure, I am pointing out people like this author who are trying to spin up the truth of the matter.

I hate this book and I think the author is playing a dangerous game of miss information or more specifically, just trying to undermine what the hell is really going on in this nation and a different example of the author attempting to be selective is where the one passage from the IG report the author quoted. The author screwed up big time as I personally own and I’ve read the IG report and I know for a fact people from the FBI are going to go to jail and you can fact check my claims by observing some of the passages I presented on my factual review of that government doc.

Very specifically, the author lost any sort of integrity by quoting just that one passage from the IG and he did that specifically in the attempt to distorted the facts that the FBI screwed up, badly.

It was a damn coup attempt and I think this author is a pos as he’s attempting to excuse the fact that Mueller, who was in charge of the FBI on 9/11 reported the FBI had no clue about what would eventually happen that day and then Mueller supported the claim there were weapons of mass destruction. Trump called that bs out and he got investigated by the same Mueller although the Mueller team already knew there was no proof of Russian collusion and they did this just to politically damage the Trump and all one has to do is read the Mueller hearings to start with.

I will admit, I was surprised the author actually referenced the 9/11 Congressional Report which is different from the fake created 9/11 commission report. Even so, I don't think the author has even read the Congressional report from Congress because the author failed to point out the 9/11 Congressional report will reveal the attack that day was state sponsored. I know this because I presented a review of the Congressional report a few years back noting what was written on page 174 of the document.

The author also wrote about Peter Scott Dale’s comments about the deep state however the author failed to point out the details of why the conservation in the first place and who else was involved in that event Dale was writing about and why the source backed out in talking with the author.

There is a deep, shadow government and the event Peter Scott Dale was talking about involved this:

The Politics of Heroin: CIA Complicity in the Global Drug Trade Paperback – May 1, 2003 by Alfred W. McCoy

There’s more…a whole hell of a lot more and I've taken several years to follow up and my historical foot print on Amazon will prove my intent to understand what are State Crimes and I think this author is a part of efforts to undermine my god given rights. I read the book fully and completely and actually created a list of over 50 areas in the book that is just missed information or more specifically, just selected distorted stuff but in the end, the stupid fakes are going to support this junk regardless. Idiots are supporting the coup attempt in this nation and this is one of those books that will keep you dumb.

Finally, a detailed breakdown on how the primary mass media news and information platforms in this nation tried to screw you (the author is a part of) personally can be discovered by reading the publication, The Plot Against the President: The True Story of How Congressman Devin Nunes Uncovered the Biggest Political Scandal in U.S. History or a different approach to understand this would be to read the publication, Into The Buzzsaw: LEADING JOURNALISTS EXPOSE THE MYTH OF A FREE PRESS for one.

This book In Deep is a waste and is written for suckers as the book is not recommend for mature Americans looking for honest information. I most strongly courage the author to respond as I've accused him of promoting the coup attempt in this nation and I have the proof he is a fraud.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Actually a gentle well written book about the FBI, CIA, etc that’s being accused of being “the deep state”. The author doesn’t agree with all that it’s done bin the past and a somewhat leery now, but the forces staying to destabilize “the deep state” aren’t trying to better it, they’re trying to destroy it. A government needs a form of federal law enforcement and organization that observes other countries. Especially one as powerful as the United States. What we don’t need are political investigations that are contrived to hurt the other party or in the opposite way, a party that interferes in its operations to prevent valid and appropriate investigations. What will happen I don’t know but it will reflect what the nation has become and it will be influenced politically, not the other way around.

[Sophie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I admit that I bought this mostly because Ronan Farrow recommended it. It was an interesting book, asking whether there really is a Deep State conspiracy undermining the government (the answer is no - unless you count Trump and his cronies).

I really liked the beginning, dealing with the early FBI and CIA. The middle part, chronicling events from Carter until Obama, read in parts like it was a school report cranked out the night before (that part was also poorly copy-edited, with spelling mistakes and even a doubled sentence). It still helped with getting a sense of the scandals each administration dealt with, and Rohde does take a neutral position there. Once we get to the Trump era, you really get the feeling we’re at the point Rohde most cares about. Again, he points out how partisanship plays a part in undermining people’s trust in Congress, and that that is indeed something both parties are guilty of. But it’s especially Trump’s constant lying and flouting of the rules and laws that is most damaging.

I think what I found most interesting was the realization that there is an underlying philosophy to the expansion of executive power. That actually makes it scarier for me - I am not comfortable with people thinking that one branch/ one leader should have unlimited power, and I increasingly worry that it will be impossible to reverse all the damage Trump et al. have done.

As a book, it has its weaknesses, but I am glad I read it. Despite the fact that I am constantly worrying about what is going on and going to happen in the US, this helped me gaining more perspective on things.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rhode for the most part makes a decent attempt to be fair and balanced in a book about a term that has not only been created in recent times but has also become highly politicized (“deep state”). At its core this is a book about power: Presidential power, and the power of organizations like the CIA and FBI since the end of the Nixon administration to present.

If you follow history and read media closely I’m not sure if there’s anything new or groundbreaking this book has to offer. It rehashes very trite topics from the past 40-50 years such as Watergate, the Church Committee, Iran Contra, Waco, Clinton’s impeachment, 9/11, drone warfare, Snowden, etc before rehashing the Trump administration’s behaviors all carrying a theme of Congressional oversight and committees in a general wrangling for power and influence (Trump and his habit of turning everything partisan is heavily covered). All of this is reviewed in an attempt to explain how the term deep state has come about, and in the end the author makes a brief case for less Presidential power. If all of this is new to you then you may come away from this book wide eyed and appreciative but for many this book may not really offer anything new or insightful.

[Robert P. Hoffman · Rating 1 out of 5]

What a disappointment Based on the reviews I read, I was expecting a book that set the historical context for Trump's attack on a deep state and an insightful analysis of what has happened during the Trump years.

Instead the book turned out to be a superficial analysis of all the events the author covers. The chapters prior to his discussion of Trump read as if they are a prologue to the main point (which gave me some hope). There is little insight here--is it that insightful to point out that both parties realize that politicizing investigations will bring political gain?

When he discusses the Trump years, he adds almost nothing to the discussion. The writing is flat, the stories told are ones that have been told many times before. Where he could have added some analysis was in the discussion about the investigation into Trump and the impeachment. But that is covered in a few pages and there is nothing new. I get the sense that this book was rushed into publication in order to capitalize on the interest people have after the impeachment. But it is a huge waste of one's time to read this book

[Randy Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned so much from this well-written book. Kudos to David Rohde for his simple and elegant writing style, so graceful and easy to read. He delivered a valuable and concise history of the so-called 'deep state' and in a ironical twist wrote "If a 'deep state' is a group of officials who secretly wield government power with little accountability or transparency, Trump and his loyalists increasing fit that definition." I recommend this book to all interested in how we got to our current state of political righteousness and jabberwocky. I plan to read it a second time, it's that good.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Journalist David Rohde examines the origins and truth behind the so-called "Deep State" conspiracy theory (spoiler alert: it's a bunch of nonsense). Exploring presidential power struggles with and scandals involving FBI and CIA, he deals out evenhanded and well-deserved criticism of every president from Carter to Obama in the first part of the book before taking aim at the shitshow that is the Trump administration in the second. There isn't really much in the way of new information of revelations to be found here, but it's a well-structured and interesting read nonetheless.

[Douglas · Rating 3 out of 5]

The term Deep State initially referred to military leaders that controlled countries that claimed to have democratically elected leadership. Deep State has been used by the conservative, opinion news to describe civil servants that override the orders of Republican Presidents. Rohde begins by looking at the work of the Church Committee in the aftermath of Watergate. Government agencies, such as the FBI and CIA, function as independent and politically neutral. Personal bias is intended is to be avoided in carrying out their duties. When bias becomes public such as with the FBI agents who guarded Trump during the campaign texting critical things about him this discredits the agency. Presidents appreciate the work of civil servants when they reinforce their agenda and are critical of them when they do not. This has been true with Democratic and Republican Presidents. This book focuses on Presidential power more then the civil servants themselves. Rohde's illustrates a conspiratorial "Deep State" does not exist.

[Scott Dittman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read it partway, then finished about two-thirds on the audio. Very deep dive into the US intelligence world - the good, the bad, the ugly - and why so many are inclined to see secretive organizations and individuals behind every tree and "running" the country. It encourages me to be better about questioning motives and practices done in my name. It also makes me very skeptical of those who see bad motives at every turn and suspicious of those who want to control every aspect of our lives to avoid accountability for their own personal and political behaviors. The "deep state" condemned by the 45th president is not there as he describes it but could easily be created to serve the personal ambitions of his own authoritarian impulses and demagogery.

[Pia Costello · Rating 3 out of 5]

In terms of a historical retelling of previous administration and their involvement with the intelligence communities, this is pretty good. Rohde definitely knows what he’s talking about and brings in very important sources that add legitimacy to the book. However, she’s kind of short. I feel like there are a lot of details that were missed or barely mentioned that are important to the story, and i’m a little confused abt his motive. The book is basically full of instances when the US govt and certain unelected officials lied and hid certain things from the public, but then also really tries to enforce the idea that “there is no deep state” and that those who believe that there could be a cabal of sorts are being manipulated by the right and disrespecting intelligence workers (??). So 3 stars. It all kind of gives me a headache.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listened to this book. Author went through all of the times different agencies went rogue in the past 30 years, but claimed in the last four years it was Trump who had gone rogue. Expect people who read this partway, will not finish, and then say, “see, I knew it all the time, Trump was right”

[Patrick Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

The word "Deep State" is an evocative term in the United States, and it becomes more so as the months drag along in the current administration (soon to be former at the time of this writing). This term is thrown around so often among my politically passionate, conservative family members that I thought I ought to look into the matter. I wanted to see if the claim that a cabal of unelected officials, controlling the intelligence and politics of the American government, were disturbing democracy. After dutifully reading this fairly unbiased book by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist David Rohde, I have come to the conclusion that I have a lot more research to do, but it is pointing to the result that I had upon hearing this conspiracy theory: it's absolute horseshit.

Rohde, an astute and well-informed journalist, provides a basic history lesson for the reader. He goes over the government leadership of presidents from Gerald Ford to Donald Trump, investigating the policies, scandals, and individuals who have shaped intelligence agencies, presidential power, and congressional oversight. I think anyone who gets into this book needs to know what they're getting into. Rohde juggles a lot of events and people at the same time, and, if you enter into his impressive juggling act without a pen and paper, you might have trouble keeping up with all of the names and policies that he mentions. For a book with only three-hundred some odd pages, there is a lot to take in here.

Despite how unwieldy all of this info can be, Rohde does a great job at organizing his book. It is primarily chronological with special emphasis placed on the Trump administration. Half of the book is dedicated to debunking conspiracy theories espoused by Trump, clarifying misconceptions about individuals who work with Trump, and illustrating the dreadful role that Trump has played in weakening congressional oversight and intelligence agencies. I'm not going to hide my feelings about the man in this review, especially given what happened on January 6th, 2020. This book has only gained in pertinence as the months after this book was first published, and it will likely only continue to do so.

My issues with this book stem from its sources and some repetitive writing towards its conclusion. Rohde draws primarily from online news sources, interviews, and an occasional book or two. I did not find his resources as satisfying as I wanted them to be, and I fear this book will not be very convincing to anyone who not already centrist or leftist. By this point, however, I think that there is very little that will convince someone right of center that there isn't a "deep state," at least not in the way that Donald Trump has been using the term. As usual, the author and I have identified what Donald Trump does: lies and exaggerates for political gain.

This book also gets very repetitive near its conclusion. The author constantly reuses familiar lines, assertions, and inputs that he has been giving to the reader throughout the entire book. By the end, they had grown tiresome, and I began to wonder whether or not he was running out of writing flow when he was finishing this book. It's annoying, but this book offers a lot to readers who are just getting into modern politics. For those with a bit more knowledge about the dangerous administration that we will soon be out of, this book might be a little dull. I would recommend checking it out to all readers to decide what you think. Personally, Rohde impressed me with his professionalism and commitment to truth in a country that has become increasingly misled from one of its highest modes of government.

[Zach Utter · Rating 4 out of 5]

What is the deep state? Is the deep state a cabal of wealthy individuals who are seeking to control the government and/or already have OR is it the everyday people who run the bureaucratic government that has grown just as large as the American global influence that it supports? This book supports the latter while helping to understand why so many people believe in the former. David Rhode, provides a more nuanced definition of the deep state by calling it “Institutionalized Government” which eliminates the more nefarious denotations of the the deep state. The reality of the deep states is that the unelected officials in our institutions, like the FBI and CIA, work along certain norms that were developed as a response to abuses of power in past administrations. When those norms are broken, the “institutionalized government” does its due diligence in trying to right those wrongs. This book outlines the history of how those norms were developed and challenged from the Nixon administration to our current Trump Administration. The second half of the book focuses exclusively on Trump and how his presidency is using the fears and distrust of Americans in the government for significant political gain. This is not to say that only President Trump is using these fears, because Rhodes points out that the same fears and feelings of distrust of the American people are being politicized by both Democrats and Republicans in order to win political points. That politicization is harming the apolitical organization of the CIA and FBI who have had issues in the past and have been trying for more than 40 years to gain back their good favor with the American people. The reforms and norms that were established forty years ago have come under attack by politicians and the media, which have been benefiting from the drastic divisions that have been seeded in the past administrations and have come to full bloom under the current administration.

The American government in many ways is a paradox. How can the Department of Justice be under the Executive Branch and serve at the presidents pleasure and yet strive to be an independent and apolitical institution? The men and women who work there tirelessly to maintain that status are to be commended. They are doing the work that maintains our democracy, all the while being ruthlessly attacked by their elected counterparts. However, the paradox of their existence makes their job both critical and dangerous to our democracy. Critical because they are doing the work that is necessary to make sure America is safe and secure, but dangerous because when they voluntarily allow congressional oversight to maintain checks and balances within the government, their actions, both positive and negative, serve as a proof positive of the “deep state” undermining our democracy by those that choose to see it in that manner.

[Bradley Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rohde, a two-time recipient of the Pulitzer Prize, addresses the concept of the “deep state,” a conspiracy theory claim regarding a shadowy cabal of government bureaucrats that Trump suggests are determined to delegitimize his presidency. Rohde addresses this in two parts. First, outlining various administration and intelligence scandals in every presidency, from Gerald Ford to Barack Obama, after the creation of the Church Committee, a 1975 Senate Committee investigating abuses within the CIA, NSA, and FBI. With each subsequent scandal since the Church Committee, Rohde explains the historical background and then provides an analysis of each scandal, often a result of the power imbalance between the executive and legislative branches. Then, Rohde takes those analyses and frames them, in the second half of the book, within the context of Trump’s administration. Rohde’s theme is to provide an understanding why, during the Trump administration, public trust in the government is at an all time low, bipartisanship is making Congress unproductive, and there is an advancement of “deep state” conspiracy theories in media and government. Rohde eloquently illustrates how, since Nixon, the concept of the “deep state” infiltrated major politics through the failure of numerous independent council investigations, mass surveillance programs executed without legislative or judicial branch approval, partisanship abetted by cable news networks, presidents embracing covert actions on the grounds of fighting terrorism, perceived bias of intelligence professionals, proposed criminalization or policy disputes, and the growing support of unchecked power for the executive branch to conduct foreign policy. Rohde argues that no “deep state,” as Trump defines it, exists, but if such a concept is meant to describe a government filled with like-minded loyalists who act without transparency, then Trump has created a “deep state”of his own that he embodies.

[Abdul Alhazred · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book has two parts, a historical retrospective of the covert alphabet soup from the 70s of Ford to the (then) present, and a section on the Trump regime. I skipped that one simply because it's inevitably out of date at this point. The grand conclusion at the end is that there is no "deep state" as such, although there's plenty of malfeasance on the part of the intelligence agencies.

The retrospective was pretty good at giving out the highlights in controversies from the big reveal at the Church report to Snowden.
What's really clear is the recurring figures, Cheney and Rumsfelt's involvement during the Ford presidency to HW Bush appearing to defend the CIA and later as president, Bill Barr covering his ass, of course the whole clown car return later under Dubya and finally some of them under Trump. In fact the author does a pretty good job at laying out just how incestuous this gets as the same people have half a century or more of running their agendas, inside government and from without, which really seems in conflict with his own conclusion. The reverberations of Ruby Ridge to WACO to McVeigh open another can of worms in the mythology of anti-government/militia movements and the book takes the official line on those.

I think you could have written this with the same material and gotten to the opposite conclusion, which just becomes a semantic discussion about what a "deep state" is.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Deep offers: a useful overview of the history of oversight of the US intelligence community, and how those who sought to weaken oversight also championed the dramatic expansion of presidential power; a cogent argument for the importance and necessity of a nonpartisan civil service; and a summary for the historical record of how it came to be that Trump was impeached and acquitted.

It does not delve very deeply into abuses by the intelligence community against Americans or resulting oversight (or lack thereof). While primarily a book about the expansion of presidential power, a study with this heavy of a focus on oversight of the intelligence community should have paid greater attention to these abuses, especially against Black and Muslim Americans.

Ultimately, I think Rohde limited himself by using a framework of explaining the Trump-era "Deep State" conspiracy theory. I wish he instead had written a book about the history of intelligence oversight and its successes and failures. I was also disappointed by how little time he spent laying out his own argument about the immense dangers of an unaccountable presidency and well-founded concerns about the state of democracy in the US.

[Maureen · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Deep by David Rohde is a good overview of the Church Committee's work in the wake of the Watergate scandal, the Carter Administration's implementation of the Committee's reforms to protect the checks and balances embedded in the U.S. Constitution, and how those reforms have been unraveled over the years, culminating the the Trump Administration's total disregard of Congress's oversight role.

The book reveals nothing new, but is rather a compilation of events demonstrating how the "imperial presidency" poses a risk to democracy and an attempt to demonstrate that there is no "deep state" conspiracy by the federal workforce to undermine presidents. It's hard to prove a negative, but Rohde does his best. There is much to learn from this book; there are many details that I did not know, but overall it is not the breakthrough book that one might wish it were.

[B · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's well written and fairly absorbing, this history of our Presidents since Nixon and how they affected and dealt with the CIA and FBI in their times, with an appropriately huge emphasis on Trump, but the question of whether there is a Deep State or not seemed an inane thing to try to prove since there really isn't a clear definition of it. The author focused on government agencies but didn't really talk about other entities that might be considered part of a Deep State such as wealthy individuals that pour much of their money into political campaigns, or media influencers like Fox.

That three fourths of Americans believe there is a Deep State, according to the author, is the most frightening thing I read in this book.

[Matthew Schuerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though I am not an avid reader of books on national security, nor of the modern bureaucratic state in general, I found *In Deep* to be a deeply enlightening and satisfying read. The premise of the book is to "investigate" whether Trumpist right-wing conspiracy theorists may be correct when they allege that there is a "deep state" bureaucracy that controls the U.S. foreign agenda. Even an even-handedness that should become the gold standard of journalism today, Rohde gives us a compelling tour of the history of the nation's security apparatus--taking the conspiracy theorists a little *too* seriously at times. Ultimately, though, he shatters the notions that our foreign policy is controlled by unaccountable bureaucrats.

[Priscilla · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is primarily a re-hash of the news for the last four years; and since I've not only been paying attention, but I've also been living it, I didn't learn anything new. I also already knew that Trump is a pathological liar trying to sew division and acrimony in the country and that there is no such thing as a Deep State conspiracy to get rid of him. There's just a bunch of hard working civil servants trying to do their jobs and uphold the honor of their agencies in the shadow of constant criticism from the President and his cabal of enablers. It wasn't necessary to read this book to learn any of that.

[Natalya Stahl · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up. Basically a lengthy response to the claim by Trump and other Republicans that there exists a “deep state” within the government that was out to get him during his presidency. Spends half the book outlining the history of executive branch struggles with the legislative and judicial branches, with some parts touching on the CIA and FBI, but when talking about the intelligence agencies, really just focuses on their leadership and leaders’ responses to presidents. Provided good historical context but became less focused on the intelligence agencies than overall “government conspiracies” where politicians/diplomats/military personnel defied Trump

[Mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is there a “deep state”? That is the question this book asks as the Trump administration attacks the FBI, CIA, and departments of government civil servants. In the end the central conclusion is that there have been abuses in oversight. However, there is no “deep state” trying to over throw government or attempt a coup. The surprising result of this examination is to offer the possibility that Trump and his supporters are in fact doing more damage to our democracy with their attacks and may in fact be destroying our check and balances by creating a conservative deep state of their own.

[Farhan Sadeed · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is to be noted that Rohde tried to investigate the term 'Deep State' popular among the far right groups and podcasts. That Trump tried to take it on a next level, denounced the accurate meaning of the term. The term is more widely referable to Turkey's militaristic ambitions to curtail democratic views or Egypt's military rule.
I personally think that the book is written in plain English with facts. It's only purpose is to find the existence of a deep state and prove that it's not real. I guess it excels in that cause.

[Terence Donnellan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deep dive into the so-called Deep State. After scores of interviews with governmental officials and related fields, Rohde underlines how broken our political system continues to be. Worth reading to see the facts laid out against the various lies and conspiracies pedaled from Nixon to Trump.
Too often, political books, like writers who write on politicians and politics, come down to trust. Can you trust the writer to be truthful and nonpartisan? David Rohde won my trust years ago with his book, Endgame, on the massacre in Srebrenica.

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this to be a very useful book for understanding what is meant by the "deep state" trump keeps invoking and considering whether it exists. Explores roles of FBI and CIA and Congress, identifies areas of historical overreach, and makes it all understandable to the reader The last chapter sums up his conclusions well.

Because he talks about Jim Comey, Andrew McCabe, and William Barr so much, I read their books concierge l concurrently and probably got a deeper understanding than I would have otherwise.

[Theodore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed David Rohde’s “In Deep”. First half of the book is a nice set up for the historical backdrop of today’s drama. Even though I have lived through almost all the history, the 70s context filled in some gaps. The second half of the book notes the current situation in the US and gives some important information about Barr and his motivation. As the drama continues to play out in real time with Flynn, the book has given me greater insight as events continue to unfold. Worth a read.

[Ari · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book laid out the balance of power between the political branches of government and the apolitical organizations (FBI, CIA, etc) they interact with. The central premise is that since Nixon, the executive branch has been getting more powerful and the apolitical orgs are being politicized.
The book sometimes felt like reading many newspaper articles and didn't have enough of a narrative, which is important. I want to give it 3.5.

[Cop Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good compendium on american intelligence history

This book provides a good narrative about how the intelligence servicess in the USA have evolved since Nixon. It shows the way different USA presidents approached intelligence services and how the state's architecture adapted to avoid repeating the same mistakes of Hoover's and Nixon's era. Finally, the books gives a nice compendium about how Trump's presidency was a systematic attept to undermine intelligence independence

[Jim Twombly · Rating 3 out of 5]

The narrative reads very well, but the overall effort suffers, perhaps, from the difficulty in proving something doesn't exist. Trump easily alleges the existence of a "deep state" and supports it with a few anecdotes that are out of context and unconnected. Rohde has the harder job, as we all do, to demonstrate that civil servants are merely doing the jobs we hired them to do.