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Broken: The Troubled Past and Uncertain Future of the FBI
A history of failures within the FBI describes the scandals that have marked the bureau since its inception in 1908, drawing on years of research and interviews to explain why the September 11 attacks were unforeseen. 35,000 first printing.
528 pages, Hardcover
First published October 19, 2004
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About the author
Richard Gid Powers
16 books17 followersRichard Gid Powers, born 1944, is a professor of history at the College of Staten Island and Graduate Center, CUNY, in the USA.
Powers has written extensively on American history, particularly on the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the anticommunist movement of the mid-twentieth century.
Powers has written extensively on American history, particularly on the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the anticommunist movement of the mid-twentieth century.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 9, 2017
A book worth owning . Reams of historical tragedies offer compellIng grounds for debate and academic discourse. -In the Aftermath of one of the FBI'S most dramatic confessions on counterterrorism and global affairs , the phrase "The failure of duty "leaves an aftertaste of horror! -At the end of the day there is this burning quest for an open forum on why such a negative profile makes sense as the Administrative team transitions into another electoral era.-Did they actually in totality fail? Beyond the 9/11 era and shifting faces of terrorism was the embedded objective of trade and commerce -One in particular concerned the war on drugs , specifically marijuana. This particular drug led to a more tempered , academic discourse on logistics , finance and progressive action . All honorably fought through negotiations and generational consensus " The Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) believes marijuana should be removed from the criminal justice system and regulated like alcohol and tobacco. HamlinNBCT2018
December 30, 2009
Interesting and highly informative account of the FBI's history.
January 12, 2016
Reading this work for the first time over ten years after publication was
very
interesting and 'informative'.
Is the FBI still broken as the author contends? Is the analysis of their earlier, i.e. late 20th Century accurate and still applicable?
The FBI today in early 2016 appears to the casual observer to be a different organization. It being better or more capable is not easily answered of course, but politically the fires have somewhat been quenched. The general acceptance of their role, such as in civil rights investigations, is, at least, back to they are the best if only game in town regarding impartiality. Faint damning praise, I know.
The late 20th Century behavior of portions of the FBI was inexcusable. Much of that reputation was the public hearing of their failures, but not the successes. The analysis in this book was made on the heels of the 9/11 disasters and more information is now available. Was the organization as broken as it seemed, or perhaps had it evolved in a direction that was not beneficial. Now that the US has become a 'security state' the Justice Department has been reorganized. It may take another decade to fairly evaluate the results.
Broken, the book is a worthwhile read in the early history of the 21st Century US government and the early stage and causes of the emergence of what for many is not an entirely desirable set of solutions.
Is the FBI still broken as the author contends? Is the analysis of their earlier, i.e. late 20th Century accurate and still applicable?
The FBI today in early 2016 appears to the casual observer to be a different organization. It being better or more capable is not easily answered of course, but politically the fires have somewhat been quenched. The general acceptance of their role, such as in civil rights investigations, is, at least, back to they are the best if only game in town regarding impartiality. Faint damning praise, I know.
The late 20th Century behavior of portions of the FBI was inexcusable. Much of that reputation was the public hearing of their failures, but not the successes. The analysis in this book was made on the heels of the 9/11 disasters and more information is now available. Was the organization as broken as it seemed, or perhaps had it evolved in a direction that was not beneficial. Now that the US has become a 'security state' the Justice Department has been reorganized. It may take another decade to fairly evaluate the results.
Broken, the book is a worthwhile read in the early history of the 21st Century US government and the early stage and causes of the emergence of what for many is not an entirely desirable set of solutions.
March 29, 2023
This 2004 book begins with the issues of 9/11 when the conflict between the FBI and Secret Service. was exposed. Both agencies had information and refused to share it while trying to outdo each other for national attention. This led to a re-evaluation of both services.
Then the book takes us back to the beginning, the late 1800s, and the post-civil war "carpetbagger years" of reconstruction. Corruption in all levels of government was evident and what could the Federal government do to provide policing and enforcement?
During the early 1900s, we see the growing pains of the FBI as they face: communists, gangsters, prostitution, drugs, bootlegging, national financial depression, and movies making the outlaws into "Public Heros" while the "Law" is the evil part of the equation. This continues until the Nazis of 1941 and Pearl Harbor. Now we have domestic spies!
Mr. Powers continues the history of the FBI following the World War II looking at the success and failure of events like Wounded Knee, Ruby Ridge, Waco, Civil Rights Marches, SLA (Patti Hearst), Richard Jewello, Oklahoma City bombing, and especially the long battle between J. Egar Hoover and Martin Luther King.
A complete history of the challenges of the FBI is probably a little biased since it is based mainly on its failures.
Then the book takes us back to the beginning, the late 1800s, and the post-civil war "carpetbagger years" of reconstruction. Corruption in all levels of government was evident and what could the Federal government do to provide policing and enforcement?
During the early 1900s, we see the growing pains of the FBI as they face: communists, gangsters, prostitution, drugs, bootlegging, national financial depression, and movies making the outlaws into "Public Heros" while the "Law" is the evil part of the equation. This continues until the Nazis of 1941 and Pearl Harbor. Now we have domestic spies!
Mr. Powers continues the history of the FBI following the World War II looking at the success and failure of events like Wounded Knee, Ruby Ridge, Waco, Civil Rights Marches, SLA (Patti Hearst), Richard Jewello, Oklahoma City bombing, and especially the long battle between J. Egar Hoover and Martin Luther King.
A complete history of the challenges of the FBI is probably a little biased since it is based mainly on its failures.
February 21, 2021
Good history on the FBI. Perhaps just a touch too detail-oriented, but taught me a lot. Was not impressed with final conclusion (that we had to decide whether or not we were going to give the FBI another chance). Did enjoy the take on the fact that the FBI needed public image in order to work successfully
November 3, 2023
Powers covers the history of the FBI from the beginning including the disturbing violation of rights committed by the modern Bureau. I read this while the FBI was perpetrating the Russian hoax to try to bring down President Trump.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews