[.ca] The Bureau and the Mole: The Unmasking of Robert Philip ... (ISBN 0802139515)

Very well written:
I personally enjoyed this book. Why did I enjoy it? Here's why- 1. It provides a very provacative way to look at the inside of an outsider. 2. We can all relate to it one way or another (even though we are ashamed to admit it). 3. You get to see to men fighting their own battles but it a similar way. The reason I docked it down a star is because the author could have gone into more in depth descriptions on somethings but at the same time not could have been as descriptive on other topics (especially the sexual related areas) In Conclusion, If you enjoy a spy/biographical account of one of the most notorious spies ever recorded, this is the way to go.

Poor writing:
I expected a lot from this book and was disappointed. The book is a strong example of a great topic with a horrible delivery. Hanssen betrayed our country' secrets and the best the author can do is bore us with how Louis Freeh should be our hero. After finishing the book I was struck by the feeling that the author had not done much research, as there was little substantive information about Hanssen's spying. It would have been more aptly titled, "A short book in praise of Louis Freeh".

Not What You Might Expect:
I bought this book expecting to read about how the FBI investigated Robert Hannsen, as well as the "cloak and dagger" aspects like the tradecraft he used and his interactions with his KGB handlers. Instead I found that about half of the book is about Louis Freeh and his ascention to the Directorship, and his accomplishments and failures along the way. Don't waste your money, borrow it from the library.

Mediocre at best:
I was pretty much disappointed. Most of the book dealt with Hanssen's psychological problems, and the immediate political impact of his capture, rather than the historical or political implications on US intelligence. Was author David Vise pressed for time? Or was there simply limited information available? I can't believe a pulitzer prize winner was just lazy, but I saw lots of high school term-paper tricks: a small book with wide margins, extra line spacing, and long block quotes and appendices. Half the book was devoted to FBI director Louis Freeh-- a man I certainly find fascinating, but not germaine to the Hanssen case. Verbatim publication of Hanssen's explicit internet posts about his wife fail to titalate, though certainly they succeed in further humiliating her and her family. They don't shed any light that paraphrasing or summarizing doesn't. Basically, I see a man who lacked either time or unclassified information, and resorted to fluffing up the page count. It gets two stars only because what information it did have appeared accurate.

Great book:
I bought this as a used book with the author's signature. It is a very easy read and I would make this a real movie, not a made for TV job which has been done. In the real movie, I could see Kevin Spacey in the title role.