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My FBI: Bringing Down the Mafia, Investigating Bill Clinton, and Fighting the War on Terror
 
 
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My FBI: Bringing Down the Mafia, Investigating Bill Clinton, and Fighting the War on Terror [Paperback]

Louis J. Freeh (Author)
3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (64 customer reviews)

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Book Description

October 3, 2006

A spectacular New York Times and Washington Post bestseller, My FBI is the definitive account of American law enforcement during the Clinton years and in the run-up to September 11.  Louis Freeh is clear eyed, frank, the ultimate realist, and he offers resolute vision for the struggles ahead.

 

“[Freeh] comes off as the real deal, an honorable, hard-working man, a devoted public servant and father, a gifted lawyer and onetime federal prosecutor.”---The New York Times

 

“Freeh did his country a great service by staying on as FBI director to be a witness---a truth teller, if you will---to all the nefarious goings-on at the Clinton White House. As with most debates surrounding the Clinton presidency, it comes down to this: Do you believe Louis Freeh, or do you believe Bill Clinton? If there remains any doubt, this book forever answers that question.”---The Philadelphia Inquirer

 

“In one of the year’s more explosive Washington memoirs, Freeh pulls no punches.”---The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

 

The FBI that Freeh took over in the summer of 1993 was still reeling from the bloody standoff at Ruby Ridge and the conflagration at the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas. Unpopular, underfunded, and understaffed, the Bureau was also creeping along in the technological Dark Ages. For eight years---the second longest tenure of any director since J. Edgar Hoover---Freeh would fight tooth and nail to turn the FBI around.

 

In My FBI, we follow Freeh through his five-year battle against Clinton, National Security Adviser Sandy Berger, and others to win indictments for the Khobar bombings in 2001, which stated that Iranian government officials played a role in the attack.

 

No wonder Bill Clinton called Freeh a “law enforcement legend” when he nominated him to be FBI Director. No wonder, either, that when Clinton subsequently called that appointment the worst one he made as president, Freeh considered it “a badge of honor.”


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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The majority of this six hour abridgment focuses on the former FBI director explaining why working for Bill Clinton-the man who appointed him-was the worst job he ever had. Grupper captures Freeh's self-serving, sanctimonious and self-righteous tone of voice (which can be compared with Freeh's own short introduction). Periodically, Freeh breaks from his complaints about how little personal attention he got from the Clinton White House so he can detail a succession of dark moments, including the investigation into the 1996 terrorist bombing of Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia. Freeh says the investigation was stalled by the White House because of possible fallout involving the Iranians. High profile domestic scandals such as Whitewater and Paula Jones clearly embarrassed Freeh, a former altar boy who carries a worn prayer book in his suit jacket. In between his anti-Clinton tirades, Freeh does find time to describe in some detail what life as an FBI chief executive is like. But the sound which most listeners will come away with is the squeezing of sour grapes. Simultaneous release with the St. Martin's hardcover (review online).
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

LOUIS J. FREEH served as director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation from 1993 to 2001. He now is senior vice chairman of MBNA.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 352 pages
  • Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; 1st edition (October 3, 2006)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0312321902
  • ISBN-13: 978-0312321901
  • Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (64 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #907,306 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
90 of 108 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Louis J. Freeh, the former FBI director(1993-2001), has put together a string of life's accomplishments, struggles, obstacles, and frustrations presented in the clarity of the moment, as he sees it.

The chronicle is his own biography, and nearly half of the book encompasses educational background, and experiences with New York city crimes while working in the US Attorney's office. But, make no mistake! The theme of the book craftily pivots on issues that involve his difficult relationship with Bill Clinton, who had chosen him, as a "law enforcement legend", and later regretful as his "worst" appointment.

Freeh graduated from the New York University Law Scool in 1975, worked as an FBI agent from 1975-1981, and then in the US Attorney's office in New York city until 1991. He was appointed as the US District Court from 1991-1993.

The book is interesting, informative, captivating, and easy to read. There is a hint of venom that Mr. Freeh carefully guards, as he delves into his chapter critical of his boss, his President, our President -- intelligent and politically skillful, but a crack in his thought process, which let the truth slip by...just slip by!

The following are the highlights that troubled Mr. Freeh:

>The Kobar Towers investigation in Saudi Arabia, which he believes Mr. Clinton ignored, and the interference in the probing of the matter...allowing the terrorists to escape.

>He is surprised by the underestimation of casualties by Mr. Clinton in his book "My Life"...by as many as 70...and even the misrepresentation or the inference that these terrorists were caught.

>Modernization of FBI computer system, requesting $90 million but only receiving two million.

>Pardoning of Marc Rich whose former wife donated one million to the Clintons.

>Scandels of the nineties, particularly the Lewensky scandle that plagued the presidency.

>Views on Robert Hanssen -- the double agent.

Freeh underscores the difficulties he had in dealing with his job, because of Mr. Clinton's never-ending scandels, rumors, and personal conflicts, which triggered FBI investigations. His views are forthright, and seemingly based on facts and candid recollections. Understandably, perhaps, this book is in contrast to Mr. Clinton's "My Life", and ultimately it will be up to the reader to decide which one prevails.

Character does matter! The book is a credible source of information, and does indulge in the strengths of FBI and future imptovements. It is a worthy read and will no doubt cause some political repercussions and debates on the airways.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
There was a time when the FBI could do no wrong. J. Edgar Hoover carefully crafted an image of excellence that, true or not, made the agency greatly respected. Later came Ruby Ridge and Waco. In the darkness that followed Bill Clinton appointed Louis Freeh to be the head of the organization.

During the years that followed, it almos tseemed that Bill Clinton himself was the target of most of the high profile investigations conducted by the Bureau. As we all remember, it was one scandal after another.

This was, however, also a time of other developments - the bombing of the Khobar Towers, the Unibomber, Robert Hanssen the Soviet spy working at the FBI, the build up of the al Queda attack at the World Trade Center, and more.

Mr. Freeh's relationahip with Bill Clinton was strained (to say the least) and in this book he lays out a lot of the reasons why. Obviously his view is his own, Clinton's view is a bit different. Clinton supporters will hate it, others will love it.

In summary, this is one of those books that come out after the person leaves office and begins to explain to us what really happened. This is one story, other writers will produce others, and in ten years or so the historians will put it all together. As for this book, it is well written and tells what was going on in a very important agency during a critical time in its history. It is well worth reading.
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17 of 21 people found the following review helpful
Compliment or Criticize? October 23, 2005
Format:Hardcover
No matter what the year, which director of the FBI sits at the head of the organization or how many major catastrophes are in focus at any given time, the FBI will always take the heat for the so called negative occurrences perceived by the public, media or other security related departments.

If Louis Freeh, William Sessions or Pope Bendedict was the main man in the FBI office, it wouldn't make an ounce of difference.

The critics would always find fault with decision making inside the bureau.

From where Louis Freeh sat during his reign, he believed, and still does, that he did the best job he possibly could.

Anyone given such a position with the nation's security in his hands would not go out of his way to harm or hinder the Justice of the day.

MY FBI is written with thorough thought via the eyes and mind of Louis Freeh.

There is nothing new regarding his testimony of his predecessors or his relationship with President Clinton.

Freeh acknowledges making mistakes, he cared deeply for his country.

Louis Freeh has written an honest, outstanding account of his sojourn in one of the top positions in this wonderful United States of America.

For all the critics out there, have a good, hard, long look in your own backyard.

-Yvonne Bornstein, Author, Eleven Days of Hell - My True Story of Kidnapping, Terror, Torture and Historic FBI and KGB Rescue
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Freeh blows his own horn.
Its hard to glean much real information from this account - except that Freeh is a self-promoting idealogue who had an axe to grind against Clinton and presided over the worst US... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Jeremiah
A non-partisan look at some of the most critical times in modern...
I wanted to read this book when it was first published about five years ago. I finally was able to finish reading it this morning. Read more
Published 22 months ago by Texan
Informative but opinionated
"My FBI by Louis J. Freeh

The following comments are for the abridged CD audio book version of "My FBI" by Louis J. Freeh. Adam Grupper reads the book. Read more
Published 23 months ago by Paul Brooks
Lame
This is a very lame attempt by the former FBI boss to excuse himself from the 9/11 failure. The theme of the book can be described as two-fold. Read more
Published on January 5, 2009 by Amazonian
Profile of a good manager, some embellishment, will appeal to the...
This is one of the least political autobiographies of a public servant in a political position in Washington. Read more
Published on August 10, 2008 by J. Loscheider
Not what I expected, VERY EASY to put down!
Freeh comes across early on as pompous and a phoney and it carries throught the book. He keeps remniding us what a great father he is because he has his kids drawings in his... Read more
Published on May 7, 2008 by SJFF
Needs better organization but overall a useful book
Louis Freeh provides an interesting look into the world of the FBI. The book takes an overview approach with specific vignettes of his time at the organization and how it evolved... Read more
Published on March 14, 2008 by Lehigh History Student
Interesting behind the scenes look at the FBI in the 90s
"My FBI" was a quick read and a very interesting look behind the scenes at the FBI in the 1990s. Freeh discusses background on the major cases the FBI handled during his tenure. Read more
Published on October 8, 2007 by ironman96
Regardless of Motive, it is Interesting History
It is obvious throughout this book that Louis Freeh wanted the world to know that he was not a member of Opus Dei, he was not out to "get" Clinton, and that he did his best to... Read more
Published on July 10, 2007 by Lawrence Slobodzian
A Brilliant Inside Look At The FBI
Mr. Freeh has done a marvelous job of giving an inside view of this organization and the progress of his career leading to and through his tenure there. Read more
Published on July 8, 2007 by Joseph Broski
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New York, White House, Bill Clinton, United States, Khobar Towers, Janet Reno, Saudi Arabia, Attorney's Office, Sandy Berger, Prince Bandar, World Trade Center, George Tenet, Pennsylvania Avenue, John O'Neill, Roy Moody, Cosa Nostra, Ken Starr, North Bergen, Edgar Hoover, President Clinton, West Wing, Great Falls, Oklahoma City, Oval Office, Pizza Connection
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