Spy: The Inside Story of How the FBI's Robert Hanssen Betrayed America

by David Wise

Release Date: 22 October, 2002

Edition: Hardcover

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Best of the Hanssen books

I have read four books on the Hanssen case and this is by far the best. It offers a well-researched story about all aspects of the Hanssen case and includes detailed information about the inside workings of the FBI and CIA. It also manages to be extremely thorough without focusing excessively on the more lurid aspects of Hanssen's betrayals. Wise gives a vivid picture of how espionage works, what the effects of Hanssen's spying were, and why Hanssen was able to remain undetected for so long. The only flaw, if one can call it that, is Wise's somewhat dry prose style and matter-of-fact approach to storytelling. Other books have more of the salacious details, such as the text of Hanssen's pornographic e-mails and descriptions of his relationship with a stripper, but if you only have time for one Hanssen book this is definitely the one.

First Rate Account of a Deeply Disturbing Case

Before the publication of this book, there had been four others to appear on the market, "The Spy Who Stayed out in the Cold," "The Bureau and the Mole," "The Spy Next Door," and "Into the Mirror." To put it bluntly, none of these books can hold a candle to David Wise's masterful telling of the Hanssen spy story, which is probably the most disgraceful and bizarre chapter in the FBI's long history. What sets Wise's account apart from its predecessors? The answer is diligent, long-term research and unparalleled access to people who knew Hanssen. The fact that the traitor gave his psychiatrist permission to be interviewed by Wise gives readers a window into Hanssen's soul that none of his competitors (who rushed their books to publication with almost indecent haste) were able to give. An added plus to Wise's book is that he gives a fairly comprehensive outline of the research he conducted for the book in his notes at the end. This is in stark contrast to his competitors' books which rest their flimsy conclusions on mostly anonymous sources and in the case of "Into the Mirror" the outright --and admitted by its authors-- fictionalization of Hanssen's life whenever it was convenient.

For me, the highlights of "Spy" are the chapters that discuss Hanssen's approach to religion, his twisted obsession with pornography and sex, the way the FBI and CIA procurred the entire file that the KGB maintained on Hanssen, and the psychological demons that drove Hanssen to inflict horrific damage on his country's national security. What is particularly shocking is that Hanssen's own brother-in-law (a fellow FBI agent) reported the spy's possession of large amounts of unexplained cash in 1990 to his superiors and the FBI brass did NOTHING about it. Hanssen could have been caught that year had someone in the FBI bureaucracy cared enough to follow through on the tip-off that they were handed on a silver platter. Even more disturbing is the allegation in the book that Hanssen wanted to have his best friend father a child by his wife so they could be a family of three. To paraphrase Wise, trying to understand someone who thinks and behaves the way Hanssen did is like taking a trip to the dark side of the moon.

To sum up, I would ignore all the other books about Hanssen and buy Wise's book. Reading it will make you want to cry not just because of what Hanssen did to all of us but because the FBI allowed him to inflict immeasurable harm on his country for so many years.