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The Secret Service: The Hidden History of an Enigmatic Agency

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The Secret Service: The Hidden History of an Enigmatic Agency
AuthorPhilip H. Melanson and Peter F. Stevens
LanguageEnglish
GenreNon-fiction
Published2002
PublisherCarroll & Graf
Publication placeUnited States
ISBN978-0-7867-1084-3

The Secret Service: The Hidden History of an Enigmatic Agency is a book by Philip H. Melanson and Peter F. Stevens about the history of the United States Secret Service. The book was first published in 2002 by Carroll & Graf Publishers.[1]

The book contains interviews with former White House staffers, retired agents, and the first female agent to serve on the presidential's security detail.[2]

Reception

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The book has received reviews from publications including Booklist, Publishers Weekly, and Kirkus Reviews.[3][4][5]

Publishers Weekly stated the book was a "comprehensive, sometimes critical and often dry history" with "all aspects of the agency's work are covered extensively: recruiting, training, intelligence gathering, the often-tense relationship between the agency and the people it tries to protect" and that it is "a worthwhile book for assassination buffs and those with an interest in the inner workings of government".[4]

Kirkus Reviews stated "In mining the relationship between the agency and presidential families it has served, Melanson provides some fascinating insights" and that the book as a whole was "somewhat plodding, but with gems along the path".[5]

References

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  1. ^ Melanson, Philip H.; Stevens, Peter F. (2002). The Secret Service: The Hidden History of an Enigmatic Agency. Carroll & Graf Publishers. ISBN 978-0-7867-1084-3.
  2. ^ "The Secret Service: The Hidden History of an Enigmatic Agency". Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America. Retrieved May 25, 2019.
  3. ^ "Booklist Review: The Secret Service: The Hidden History of an Enigmatic Agency". Booklist. November 1, 2002. Retrieved May 25, 2019.
  4. ^ a b "Nonfiction Book Review: The Secret Service: The Hidden History of an Enigmatic Agency". Publishers Weekly. September 30, 2002. Retrieved May 25, 2019.
  5. ^ a b "Kirkus Review: The Secret Service: The Hidden History of an Enigmatic Agency". Kirkus Reviews. September 15, 2002. Retrieved May 25, 2019.