Customer Reviews

Bullets, Bombs, and Fast Talk: Twenty-five Years of FBI War Stories

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I served with Jim Botting as an FBI Agent for many years. Jim's book is a gutsy, tell-all of many of the critical incidents he was involved in. Jim was not only a hostage negotiator but a leader, a mentor, a great instructor, SWAT Team leader, and now an author. Jim was one of those guys you wanted with you when you went through a door. He always had your back or was the first in. His accounts give great insight into how things really work and the goings-on between the various law enforcement agencies who overcome all for successful resolutions of life and death situations. He knows of what he writes. He's not a phony expert, he's been there. He's not afraid to tell it like it was or is. Great book!

Full disclosure...I was an FBI agent and worked in the L.A. office when Jim Botting was also assigned there. We knew each other but never worked together. He was known as a great agent and I now I know he is a great writer. BULLETS, BOMBS and FAST TALK is a well-written journey through a lifetime of FBI war stories. Jim was on the front lines of some of the biggest investigations in our nation's history. This is an easy read that provides insights into how the Bureau functions...warts and all. Perfect for true-crime junkies...Bob Hamer, author of THE LAST UNDERCOVER

Actual crisis situations and investigations as told, in a language that everyone would understand, by a real street agent who took on ancillary duties as a Hostage/Crisis Negotiator and a SWAT team member. These "war stories" depict the good and, at times, the bad about the FBI.
Thanks to dedicated and street smart agents like the author, most were good and lives were saved.
In one of the chapters, the author's explanation of "T.U.R.D.S. and S.H.I.T.S" should bring a smile to your face.
A good read!

I came upon this book while I was doing some research on the post-Hoover FBI. It has proven to be a treasure trove of first person, on the scene information on most of the major law enforcement crises of the last quarter of the 20th century. Mr. Botting seems to have been everywhere and decidedly in the mix with Patty Hearst and the SLA, Wounded Knee, Ruby Ridge, Rodney King, Waco, and a host of other touch-and-go hostage situations, all the while helping to refine the tactics and techniques of the newly formed SWAT Units and FBI Hostage Negotiation Teams.
Mr. Botting deftly leads us through these crises always reminding us of the human side of all sides of the law enforcement battles. In one of the kidnapping situations he relates how a mother with her recently rescued child peacefully sleeping in her lap says, "He's going to spend the rest of his life in my arms." In a prison hostage situation, he tells us about a goodbye letter that a hostage is forced to write to his wife. Botting tells us that the hostage wrote the painful letter to his wife, saying that he regretted that they had not started a family but that he had loved her with all his heart. Jim Botting was there.
I say that Mr. Botting deftly guides us not only because he knows his stuff, but also because he has a keen eye for how emotion and human nature play such large roles in tense situations. In other words, what he writes rings true because some of it is tragic, some pathetic, and some downright hilarious. He doesn't glide over the petty pratfalls and very human foibles that pester all of us. His is not a dry news article; it brings the events to life and puts us squarely in the middle of each scene of each dramatic situation.
I would be remiss to not mention what I consider a minor glitch in the book. Therefore, I am initiating an alert to the acronym averse. I advise that readers jot down a few of the many acronyms used in the book. I was very surprised to learn that BOP was not "Brick Oven Pizza" but instead "Bureau of Prisons". There are SOGs and HRTs, OCs, CMUs, and CINTS, but with a few notes these are easily tamed, do not at all get in the way, and certainly should not stop anyone from enjoying this fine work.
One can only hope that Mr. Botting will write future books about his many experiences. He tells a good story and tells it well.

John Forsythe-Georgetown

You might think you know about Waco, Ruby Ridge, Patti Hearst and other FBI stories from what you've seen on the news or edited documentaries, but here's the real scoop, told by a former agent who took part in those dramas. The author certainly isn't afraid to tell the truth the way he saw it, and not only can you gain a uniquely honest perspective about these events, he is also funny and totally entertaining!

I would think if you were considering law enforcement as a career, this book would give great insight into how stuff really goes, and it's not all like a tidy episode of Law and Order! My favorite part is about Mississippi and some characters there in the '70's who remind me of the Smokey and the Bandit movies-not in a good way...

A really fun and interesting read-I highly recommend it.

As a Pasadena, California cop and then a U.S. Secret Service Special Agent, I worked closely with James Botting, and Jim is the real thing.
Jim is one of the most liked and respected by his peers FBI Special Agents I've known, and he nailed what it was like being a "Fed" during the last quarter of the 20th century, especially for the lower echelons who had to do the dirty work.
Bullets, Bombs and Fast Talk goes beyond what journalists usually bring us, with its close-up looks behind the scenes of standoffs such as Waco, Ruby Ridge, Whidbey Island, and Wounded Knee.
It's brutally honest, and Jim pulls no punches in his criticism of himself and of his own beloved FBI. He documents both the bungling and ineptitudes AND the bravery and heroic efforts of the FBI and local law enforcement to protect the innocents of our world. Jim tells his stories in a uniquely personal manner, including the dark humor in law enforcement that can only be gained by working the streets for many years.
This book mentions the historic animosities between the FBI and the LAPD, but unlike many before it, especially fictional novels, Jim reveals the mutual respect that these two great law enforcement agencies have for each other.
Bullets, Bombs and Fast Talk is an authentic collection of honest, vivid, and often harrowing adventures depicting what it's like to be an FBI Special Agent issued a badge, handcuffs, guns, and what Jim Botting coined "a passport to invade the personal lives of many."
Bullets, Bombs and Fast Talk is more fascinating than most fictional crime stories; it's a "must read" for lovers of cop stories; and it belongs in any true crime library.
David Gregg, Special Agent, U.S. Secret Service (Ret.)

Bullets, Bombs and Fast talk is the perfect book for Americans who understand and appreciate the dangers faced by their law enforcement professionals - and the perfect book for Americans who need know why the FBI is continually looked to as one of the premier law enforcement agencies in the world. Author and former FBI Agent James Botting provides in-depth illustrations of how he and his colleagues faced a multitude of volatile situations on the streets of Los Angeles for over thirty years. His insightful look at the way in which the "good guys" outmaneuver and outsmart the "bad guys" is informative, inspiring and fun!

What a great book. I am not an avid reader but heard about this book. It is easy fast reading and I could not wait to get to each chapter. What a great career. I had forgotton about so many of these incidences. It must have been amazing to experience them. I can only hope there is a sequel, but I am afraid he told all the stories already.

What's different about this book? Why would want to read it?
Simple - this book will give you a true picture of what really happens when a SWAT team plans and executes an assignment. It's an insider's view about what actually happened at places like Ruby Ridge and Waco. This is a fascinating, inside look at what an FBI agent does on a day to day basis. Botting gives a seemingly honest account of what he did, not only the successes but the mistakes. His humility provides plenty of humor in telling exciting stories.
Great read!

I very seldom read non-fiction. However, I bought this book based upon a friend's recommendation

It is teriffic reading.

It is not written as a blow-by-blow journalistic description, nor in a self-serving boasting manner. It is a description of real events written from a standpoint of someone as ordinary as you and I.

The author shares the bizarre, the tragic, and the humorous events of actual events that we've read or heard about. But, his style is such that I could have been reading any of my favorite novel writers. It made me feel like I had a glimpse of how it really was without being bludgeoned with details.

I was disappointed at the end of the book that there weren't 10 more chapters. I only hope Botting will keep writing.