Zero Fail

The Rise and Fall of the Secret Service

By: Carol Leonnig

Narrated by: Maggi-Meg Reed, Carol Leonnig

Length: 20 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's summary

New York Times best seller

“This is one of those books that will go down as the seminal work - the determinative work - in this field.... Terrifying.” (Rachel Maddow)

The first definitive account of the rise and fall of the Secret Service, from the Kennedy assassination to the alarming mismanagement of the Obama and Trump years, right up to the insurrection at the Capitol on January 6 - by the Pulitzer Prize winner and number one New York Times best-selling co-author of A Very Stable Genius and I Alone Can Fix It

Named One of the Best Books of the Year by The Washington Post

Carol Leonnig has been reporting on the Secret Service for The Washington Post for most of the last decade, bringing to light the secrets, scandals, and shortcomings that plague the agency today - from a toxic work culture to dangerously outdated equipment to the deep resentment within the ranks at key agency leaders, who put protecting the agency’s once-hallowed image before fixing its flaws. But the Secret Service wasn’t always so troubled.

The Secret Service was born in 1865, in the wake of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, but its story begins in earnest in 1963, with the death of John F. Kennedy. Shocked into reform by its failure to protect the president on that fateful day in Dallas, this once-sleepy agency was radically transformed into an elite, highly trained unit that would redeem itself several times, most famously in 1981 by thwarting an assassination attempt against Ronald Reagan. But this reputation for courage and excellence would not last forever. By Barack Obama’s presidency, the once-proud Secret Service was running on fumes and beset by mistakes and alarming lapses in judgment: break-ins at the White House, an armed gunman firing into the windows of the residence while confused agents stood by, and a massive prostitution scandal among agents in Cartagena, to name just a few. With Donald Trump’s arrival, a series of promised reforms were cast aside, as a president disdainful of public service instead abused the Secret Service to rack up political and personal gains.

To explore these problems in the ranks, Leonnig interviewed dozens of current and former agents, government officials, and whistleblowers who put their jobs on the line to speak out about a hobbled agency that’s in desperate need of reform. “I will be forever grateful to them for risking their careers,” she writes, “not because they wanted to share tantalizing gossip about presidents and their families, but because they know that the Service is broken and needs fixing. By telling their story, they hope to revive the Service they love.”

©2021 Carol Leonnig (P)2021 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“This book is a wake-up call, and a valuable study of a critically important agency.” (The New York Times)

“Zero Fail is an important book, one that will ruffle feathers in need of ruffling and that will be useful to legislators, policymakers and historians alike.” (The Washington Post)

“Here is journalism as a true and honest public service.... [Zero Fail] is just terrific.” (The Wall Street Journal)

Who knew!

This is an absolute great read. Insight into a world we would never know about except fir this book. We assume we are the best provide the best. This book explains a lot. I hope a change is gonna come!

I had to get use to the readers. I understand why—but a little pep in the voice wouldn’t change the understanding. I realize Maggie island Carol had to sound alike but I wish otherwise.

Awakening

Highly recommended reading specially for taxpayers who work all year so that few can enjoy the earnings of others.
Excellent performance by Carol Leonning with her writing. Simple, clear, objective and above all very professional.

SHOCKING

This book has changed many of my preconceptions about the Kennedy assassination and my view of the Secret Service.

Authors performance

This is a tough one to write but the cadence and performance of the author reading the intro and the last section is a tough listen. I appreciate that the last section was an update including the Trump years but, my guess is that the original reader was probably still available.

Amazing

I believe Carol Leonnig did an outstanding job researching information for this book. I'm not sure why some of the reviews have been so negative about her portion of the narration. I was very impressed with the entire book, although it sickens me to hear of the waste and poor choices made by some of the Presidents. I hope that changes are made as a result of this book so that the Secret Service can be the best protection for our Presidents. I'm not sure that I believe it should be responsible for a lot of the protection they provide and I certainly don't believe any President should make money on the housing of the housing of those assigned to them nor should the taxpayers be expected to pay these costs!

Excellent look behind the scenes of our presidents

Very well researched for historical accuracy, this book goes behind the scenes of some of our biggest security challenges.

Enlightening

Really interesting. The reality of the Secret Service is VERY different than I previously thought.

ZERO FAIL

This is one of the best books I’ve listened to in 2021. Even though we know the outcome of events written about, they are written in such a way it is like living them again.

Great read.

This was a great read because it helped me to understand the trials and tribulations about being a secret service agent.

Informative ride

I loved how she put this book together and her objective style. There was so much I did not know.