The Birth of the FBI, Willard M. Oliver
The Birth of the FBI, Willard M. Oliver
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The Birth of the FBI
Teddy Roosevelt, the Secret Service, and the Fight Over America's Premier Law Enforcement Agency

Author: Willard M. Oliver

Narrator: Robertson Dean

Unabridged: 10 hr 2 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 08/20/2019

Synopsis

Most people believe the Federal Bureau of Investigation began under J. Edgar Hoover in the 1920s or 1930s. Many also naturally assume it was developed for the express purpose of fighting crime. However, the reality is very different.

The reality is it began years earlier, in 1908, under President Theodore Roosevelt. In The Birth of the FBI, Willard Oliver details the political fight that led to the birth of America's premier law enforcement agency. Roosevelt was concerned about conservation and one issue he wanted enforced were the fraudulent land deals being perpetrated by many people, including some members of Congress. When he began using the Secret Service to investigate these crimes, Congress blocked him from doing so. The end result of this political spat was Roosevelt's creation of the FBI, which heightened the political row between the two branches of government in the final year of Roosevelt's presidency.

The truth of the matter is, the premier law enforcement agency in the United States was actually created because of a political fight between the executive and legislative branches of government. The Birth of the FBI reveals the true story behind the birth of the FBI and provides some useful insight into an important part of our American history.

About Willard M. Oliver

Willard M. Oliver is a professor in the College of Criminal Justice at Sam Houston State. His areas of expertise include policing, public policy of crime and criminal justice, and the history of criminal justice. He is the author of several other books pertaining to the history of criminal justice, including August Vollmer: The Father of American Policing, A History of Crime and Criminal Justice in America 3rd ed., Killing Congress, Introduction to Homeland Security, Crime, History, and Hollywood, and Killing the President.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Shrike58 on January 13, 2022

When I finally decided to give this book a try, what really sold me was the author's argument that the creation of the FBI had its roots in the investigation of fraud in federal land sales; a topic which needs a modern study. However, the story that Oliver really wants to tell is that of the evoluti......more

Goodreads review by Owen on April 13, 2025

Very fun, very digestible American laws enforcement history that really hits its stride a few chapters in once it finds its hero in TR. I think the book is a bit scattershot and in an identity crisis, covering the secret service more than the bureau of investigations, let alone the FBI that is its t......more

Goodreads review by Christopher on January 06, 2021

I enjoyed the first half of the book but unfortunately once it got to its main focus, the birth of the fbi, it became rather boring and repetitive. It basically details the fight between TR and congress over the secret service. But the details are mostly just letters and speeches given by both sides......more

Goodreads review by Suzanne on July 15, 2022

Interesting book but... An entire chapter on James Tawney? In short, the book was waaaay too long and much detail could have been eliminated. This is no reflection on the author but the typos and edits that should have been caught by a good proofreader were astronomical, considering I paid full pr......more

Goodreads review by Linda on May 02, 2023

4.5 stars It was interesting to get a lot of back story on how the FBI came about including a lot of fighting within Congress. There were a few times I tried to decide if what the author was writing had anything to do with the thesis of their book. I realized you have to go back to George Washington......more

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