• The Birth of the FBI

  • Teddy Roosevelt, the Secret Service, and the Fight Over America's Premier Law Enforcement Agency
  • By: Willard M. Oliver
  • Narrated by: Robertson Dean
  • Length: 10 hrs and 2 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (15 ratings)

Access a growing selection of included Audible Originals, audiobooks, and podcasts.
You will get an email reminder before your trial ends.
Audible Plus auto-renews for $7.95/mo after 30 days. Upgrade or cancel anytime.
The Birth of the FBI  By  cover art

The Birth of the FBI

By: Willard M. Oliver
Narrated by: Robertson Dean
Try for $0.00

$7.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $17.19

Buy for $17.19

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

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.

©2019 Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc. (P)2019 Tantor
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History

What listeners say about The Birth of the FBI

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    9
  • 4 Stars
    4
  • 3 Stars
    2
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    13
  • 4 Stars
    0
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    8
  • 4 Stars
    4
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Fascinating

Fascinating.

Mr. Oliver’s book documents the history and the politics which resulted in the FBI being created pretty much by accident.

It is also an excellent example of the unintended consequences of one’s actions.

And of course it brings to light yet another example of Theodore Roosevelt’s genius.

Worth your time.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Not what I thought

I was expecting this to start at the birth of the FBI and maybe give me some background knowledge, but take me through it’s beginning and what it really did was give me a lot of background knowledge and then walk right up to it being developed and the book ends there. It was an ok book just not what I thought.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!