Enemies: A History of the FBI by Tim Weiner

Enemies: A History of the FBI by Tim Weiner
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Starts out a little slowly but then becomes progressively more interesting. I did not have a good grasp of what the FBI has been doing since its creation- if anything I had an incorrect idea of what it does. I was particularly disturbed by the section on the FBI spying on Civil Rights leaders.

The ending is really interesting and hopeful because of all the positive changes in the Bureau.

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The History of the CIA by Tim Weiner

Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA by Tim Weiner
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I enjoyed reading this book a great deal because it explains American history from after WWII until about 2007-08 with the benefit of documents that have been declassified and other information that has been uncovered. It presents a different account than the original explanations at the time (some of which was false).

It may be (or may not be) overly harsh towards the CIA, but it didn't strike me as biased against either political party. As a liberal, I felt somewhat more forgiving towards the George W. Bush administration after reading this book. It is a sobering look at flawed US intelligence and its effect on foreign policy. Definitely worth reading.

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