Before the U.S. federal government reorganized several of its
departments in connection with the creation of the Department of
Homeland Security, the Secret Service was a part of the Treasury
Department. Most people think of the
agency primarily in terms of
guarding the U.S. president, members of his family, and other high
level governmental officials. Few know that the Secret Service plays a
key role in the
protection of the U.S. currency. In fact, that was the
reason why it was created in the middle of the 19th century, to track
down and put counterfeiters out of business.In his book Secret
Service / The Hidden
History of an Enigmatic Agency, Philip H. Melanson
offers an overview of the agency’s history and prospects for the
future. Naturally enough, certain episodes of the history hold more
interest for general readers than do others. Take, for example, what
happened in Dallas in November 1963. With his Secret Service protection
in place, John F. Kennedy should not have been killed that
day. But he
was. The news of his death stunned the nation and the rest of the
world. Melanson offers insights into various aspects of the day’s
activities, as well as the behavior of people around the president in
Dallas.Another fascinating aspect of Melanson’s presentation is
a section he devotes to the problem of burnout among Secret Service
agents. Exploring the nitty gritty details of protection
work, he does
a fine job of showing how agents can become vulnerable to emotional and
psychological problems as a result of the type of work they do. While
protection work may look glamorous from the outside looking in, the
reality of it is far more mundane and tedious that many would imagine.Unfortunately,
Melanson is not a skillful writer. While he has much useful information
to convey to his readers, he fails to do so in a satisfying manner. His
narrative would benefit from a more coherent and cohesive presentation
of his material. Despite that shortcoming, he treats a subject which
has become increasingly important in this post-September 11, 2001
world. Policymakers would do well to consult with him about planning
for future needs when it comes to executive level protection.
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