The FBI: A Comprehensive Reference Guide - Hardcover

Poveda, Tony; Powers, Richard; Rosenfeld, Susan; Theoharis, Athan G.; Powers, Richard G.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 089774991X ISBN 13: 9780897749916

Publisher: Greenwood, 1998

Synopsis

From the Palmer Raids to the McCarthy era, to ABSCAM and Waco, the FBI has been enmeshed in controversy since its creation. It is also deeply woven into the fabric of our national identity and popular culture. The subject of countless movies, books, and television shows, we are fascinated by its mystique and drama. But how did the bureau that began with a modest 34 investigators in 1908 become the powerful force that it is today, employing over 12,000 agents across the country?

About this title

About the Author

Richard Powers is the author of New York Times bestseller Bewilderment; The Overstory, which won the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction; and The Echo Maker, which won the National Book Award and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize; among many other novels. Powers has received a MacArthur Fellowship, a Lannan Literary Award, the James Fenimore Cooper Prize for Historical Fiction, and is a four-time National Book Critics Circle Award finalist. He lives in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains.

Reviews

This readable reference guide to the Federal Bureau of Investigation does not disappoint. The first three chapters explore the history of the bureau, with separate essays addressing its role and powers, notable cases, and controversies. Chapter 8, "The FBI in American Popular Culture," is nearly a book in itself, with its thorough examination of the bureau's image in books, magazines, radio, television, and the movies. On the more practical side, there are chapters on the agency's traditions, organization, relationship to other governmental agencies, and physical facilities. Also included are thumbnail biographies of FBI luminaries, a time line of crucial events in its history, and a substantial annotated bibliography of books and articles. The book is peppered with photographs and factual tables. While not inexpensive, it is visually appealing and packed with information. Highly recommended for all reference collections. [Editor Theoharis is a leading scholar on the FBI and author of a noted J. Edgar Hoover biography, The Boss, LJ 6/1/88.?Ed.]?Patrick Petit, Catholic Univ. Law Lib., Beltsville, M.
-?Patrick Petit, Catholic Univ. Law Lib., Beltsville, MD
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Greenwood
• Publication date: 1998
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 089774991X
• ISBN 13: 9780897749916
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 424