Enemies

The FBI during the 20th century was synonymous with J. Edgar Hoover, whose secret intelligence operations were top priority. This title examines the vital role that gathering and using intelligence played in defining the FBI and its place in American society. Weiner does an excellent job of creating a definitive history and paints a clear picture for the listener of how from the 1920s until his death, Hoover was obsessed with intelligence, obtained despite illegalities and violations of civil liberties, and how it fueled his vast power through several Presidents. There are many revelations here: Hoover's real obsession was anticommunism, and he wove this into everything from the civil rights movement to his distrust of the CIA. Another eye-opener is the lack of evidence relating to rumors of Hoover's sexuality.