Customer Reviews

Facing Down Evil

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a fascinating look from a different perspective at some of the major FBI incidents spanning a twenty-five year career that ended in retirement in 1995. Clint Van Zandt provides a little background material about his growing up and makes no apologies for being a family man who loves his country and his agency. However, the autobiography takes off with the specific incidents including some overseas especially the more famous ones like the 1985 siege of the Covenant, the 1993 Waco confrontation with the Branch Davidians, the Unabomber, and his paradigm suggestion that Oklahoma City was tied to Waco not the Middle East. This is an excellent autobiography of a dedicated law enforcement official who spent a career FACING DOWN EVIL as it is the behind the scenes look at these cases and more that will grip the audience.

Harriet Klausner

"Facing Down Evil" is a legitimate, keenly observed look at the FBI and Hostage Negotiations by one of it's key players. Van Zandt brings a unique perspective of the Bureau to the page. He is real in his emotion and attitude and doesn't play the glory card so many others do in their memoirs. You actually feel as if you walk a mile in his shoes and it is a tough, yet gratifying path. Van Zandt succesfully intertwines stories of his personal life with his carreer and in doing so draws his audience in and keeps them wanting more untill the last page is turned.

I was actually disapointed in this book. Given the authors background I was hoping for a book that went into some detail into his methods, beliefs and techniques of crisis negotiation. What I got was a very light but enjoyable read that covered his career in the FBI (including his battles with the beaucracy which I felt did not add to the story) and four incidents of crisis negotiating, which had some good basic tips. Waco got a mention - but only to say he will leave it to the next book - rather frustrating.

My recommendation is, if you want a book on techniques, buy one of the others on the market (for example Van Zandt's fellow ex-agent Fred Lanceley's "On Scene Guide for Crisis Negotiators", or even Frank Bolz 'Hostage Cop"), but if you want a good read and an interesting story then this would be a good book to get.

I enjoyed this book. I have great respect for the author's insight and experiences. His views into hostage psychology were enlightening for me and should be an eye opener for those interested in hostage negotiations. I found this book to be a very fast read and very interesting and while I found parts to be somewhat glib, it is recommended for those interested in the workings of the FBI and those with an interest in what the FBI does and the human feelings experienced in the performance of their difficult duties as FBI Agents.

I recommend this book to any one who enjoys a true-to-life FBI drama.

Each chapter told a different edge-of-your seat story about this author's fascinating life as a negotiator/profiler for the FBI.

Exceptional book and a great read!

I really enjoyed this book and it had many interesting thoughts and details for someone looking to get into the FBI, like myself. However, I felt it layed a little too heavily on his family issues and Christian background. Not that I'm opposed to either, but I had assumed, by the synopsis of the book that the author would go into more detail about high profile cases he had worked on but did the exact opposite. He talked about cases that were probably least known to anyone reading the book. Still, it was a good read but don't pick it up if you expect to read about cases like the Oklahoma City bombing or the Unabomber.

Easy to read. Interesting story of authors time in the Bureau. Good insight into this field.

Mr. VanZant has a very thorough, articulate style of writing which leaves the reader with a new perspective on the role of an FBI profiler. The book was all that I had hoped it would be and more.

My husband and I listened to the audio unabridged version of this book. We would have preferred Mr. VanZant to include the details of more of his cases as an agent or private contractor thereby revealing his personal views relative to the actual negotiations involved, rather than to dwell so much on his personal philosophy, which he endlessly repeated. We felt that his philosophy regarding hostage negotiation would have been revealed just as well and more interestingly if he had gone into specific details of each case.