In the President's Secret Service: Behind the Scenes with Agents in the Line of Fire and the Presidents They Protect

Ronald Kessler

Aug 2009 · Sold by Forum Books

About this ebook

After conducting exclusive interviews with more than one hundred current and former Secret Service agents, bestselling author and award-winning reporter Ronald Kessler reveals their secrets for the first time.

Never before has a journalist penetrated the wall of secrecy that surrounds the U.S. Secret Service, that elite corps of agents who pledge to take a bullet to protect the president and his family. Kessler portrays the dangers that agents face and how they carry out their missions--from how they are trained to how they spot and assess potential threats. With fly-on-the-wall perspective, he captures the drama and tension that characterize agents’ lives and reveals what they have seen, providing startling, previously untold stories about the presidents, from John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson to George W. Bush and Barack Obama, as well as about their families, Cabinet officers, and White House aides.

Ratings and reviews

Talks more about what Secret Service agents have seen or heard from and about the people they protect then their actual work. Then goes into a negative rant about the Service administration and it's shortcomings. It's probably true but it doesn't make for a interesting read all the way unfortunately.

It's not very often a non-fiction book is a real page-turner, but Kessler's "In the President's Secret Service" is...at least for the first hundred pages. The first half of the book is packed with a candid look at the personal lives of U.S. Presidents as viewed from the agents who protected them. This includes front-line glimpses of assassination attempts, stories of presidents' infidelities, and humorous remarks made by presidents in the comfort of their limousines. The book also gives a great glimpse into the life of a Secret Service agent, including their protective procedures, the dangers of the job, and some of the lighter moments. Unfortunately, as the book progresses it becomes more and more of a soapbox for Kessler's views on the Secret Service, including budget cuts, underfunding, incompetent management, etc. While this perspective is interesting, it tends to detract from the enjoyment of the rest of the book, and ends up feeling like the author just has an axe to grind. Overall, a great and exciting read, but when Kessler starts to get preachy, just skip to the next chapter.

Talks a lot about the president and the short comings of the secret service. However doesn't talk much about what the secret service does.

About the author

Ronald Kessler is the New York Times bestselling author of The Secrets of the FBI, In the President's Secret Service, and The CIA at War. A former Wall Street Journal and Washington Post investigative reporter, Kessler has won eighteen journalism awards, including two George Polk awards, one for national reporting and one for community service. He was named a Washingtonian of the Year by Washingtonian magazine. Kessler lives in Potomac, Maryland with his wife, Pamela Kessler.