The Last Honest Man

The CIA, the FBI, the Mafia, and the Kennedys—and One Senator's Fight to Save Democracy

By: James Risen, Thomas Risen - contributor

Narrated by: Kevin Stillwell

Length: 15 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

In this “gripping . . . spectacular piece of reporting” (Ken Burns), a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist examines Senator Frank Church, the man at the center of numerous investigations into the abuses of power within the American government.

For decades now, America’s national security state has grown ever bigger, ever more secretive and powerful, and ever more abusive. Only once did someone manage to put a stop to any of it.

Senator Frank Church of Idaho was an unlikely hero. He led congressional opposition to the Vietnam War and had become a scathing, radical critic of what he saw as American imperialism around the world. But he was still politically ambitious, privately yearning for acceptance from the foreign policy establishment that he hated and eager to run for president. Despite his flaws, Church would show historic strength in his greatest moment, when in the wake of Watergate he was suddenly tasked with investigating abuses of power in the intelligence community. The dark truths that Church exposed—from assassination plots by the CIA, to links between the Kennedy dynasty and the mafia, to the surveillance of civil rights activists by the NSA and FBI—would shake the nation to its core, and forever change the way that Americans thought about not only their government but also their ability to hold it accountable.

Drawing upon hundreds of interviews, thousands of pages of recently declassified documents, and reams of unpublished letters, notes, and memoirs, some of which remain sensitive today, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter James Risen tells the gripping, untold story of truth and integrity standing against unchecked power—and winning—in The Last Honest Man.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2023 James Risen and Thomas Risen (P)2023 Little, Brown & Company

Critic reviews

“Vigorous… a welcome restoration of a largely forgotten politician who navigated issues that continue to reverberate.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Church was that rarity among elected representatives: an ideologue fully prepared to sacrifice his career to a great cause… [The Last Honest Man] pairs the gripping pace of an espionage thriller with the intense research of a comprehensive and timely account of government oversight.”—Booklist (starred review)

“James Risen is one of our country’s greatest investigative reporters, and Frank Church, the senator at the heart of this book, is an American icon—a man of supreme confidence, integrity, and wisdom. The dark truths he exposed about America’s spy agencies are shocking even by today’s standards. A gripping book, The Last Honest Man is a spectacular piece of reporting that reads like a spy novel with the eloquence of great history.”—Ken Burns

Fascinating History

Although I was familiar with many of the basic facts on the CIA plots uncovered by the Church investigations, the details about how these were conceived and carried out gave me a clearer perspective and fresh understanding. The book develops as two parallel plots: senator Church’s life, and the truths he uncovered about government agencies such as CIA, FBI and NSA. Definitely worth the time invested.

Classic Risen

Great deep dive into Frank Chuck and his eponymous committee. Meticulously research and powerfully written—complete with Risen’s now-familiar overwrought prose.

Looks like we will never learn.

Many thanks to the author for his research. If we would only learn from experience……

Great Info - Good Book

Lots of good historical info contained in this. The only thing I can say negatively is that clearly the author is blinded by his disdain for Trump (when the author completely dismissed the possibility that the “Deep State” exists).

Excellent

Classic James Risen. Highly recommend. Important recent history/political context. Really shows how remarkable it is that anything gets done in Congress

The Book Church Deserves

An excellent and concise recounting of Church's life and the work of the Church Committee and it's subcommittees. My only complaint is that the author gives the FBI and CIA far more benefit of the doubt than they deserve, and is less critical of the agencies than many of the committee members were.

Trolling a timeline for truths

Having lived through this timeline, the compression of detail and fact in Risens telling impoverishes memory and strings together a comprehension of the nature of forces baffling the souls of our country. Chaos, overlaid layers of distilled chaos, leave us wondering where we find Church in our midst. So deeply researched and told, worth every minute.

Excellent review of real Church Report

Quite good, fact filled as expected from Risen.
Unsettling, maddening but makes one wish actual facts held some weight today. I remember Church’s times & everything from Bay of Pigs on, and didn’t know many interesting bits revealed here. But the overall gust of what Church was doing had integrity, & even bipartisan backing as back then people realized when things were just plain wrong. This is what’s missing in our conspiracy loving Congress today. I wish copies of this could go to Congress’ staffs (doubt some of members actually read so maybe audible?). Necessary US history.
Didn’t care for narrator tone & emphases but it’s ok, I’m picky.

Simply Awesome

Having growing up in this era I only remember these things in passing. This wonderful book elucidates, and ties so many loose ends together that my understanding is enhanced immensely.
I recommend this to everyone who is interested in the current state of affairs, and how we might circumvents them and learn from them by reading this wonderful book

Absolutely engrossing

If you can get through the first 100 or so pages, this book is impossible to put down. Fascinating!