FBI A Comprehensive Reference Guide

From the Palmer Raids to the McCarthy era, to ABSCAM and Waco, the FBI has been enmeshed in controversy since its creation. It is also deeply woven into the fabric of our national identity and popular culture. The subject of countless movies, books, and television shows, we are fascinated by its mystique and drama. But how did the bureau that began with a modest 34 investigators in 1908 become the powerful force that it is today, employing over 12,000 agents across the country?

ATHAN G. THEOHARIS is nationally recognized as a leading authority on the FBI.

TONY G. POVEDA is a professor of sociology at the State University of New York, Plattsburg, where he served as chair of the sociology department and coordinator of the criminal justice program.

SUSAN ROSENFELD was appointed as the FBIs first official historian in 1984 and held this position for almost nine years.

RICHARD GID POWERS is a professor of history at the College of Staten Island and the Graduate School of the City University of New York, where he also directs the American Studies Program.