A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership Hardcover – April 17, 2018

FULL DISCLOSURE As most any reader of my reviews knows, I am not a fan of the current POTUS. I was North Dakota Hillary Clinton delegate to the state convention and also was elected to preside over the national delegate selection committee. Still, I am reviewing the writing of this book, and will refrain from any thoughts I have regarding its impact on President Trump or on the Mueller investigation of any possible collusion.As I prepared to write this review, I searched for the most apt quote. Instead of one, I found two that summarize James Comey’s take on serving in government:‘Success without honor is an unseasoned dish; it will satisfy your hunger, but it won't taste good. - Joe PaternoDemakis, Joseph. The Ultimate Book of Quotations (p. 466). Unknown. Kindle Edition.A man's country is not a certain area of land, of mountains, rivers, and woods, but it is a principle and patriotism is loyalty to that principle. - George William CurtisDemakis, Joseph. The Ultimate Book of Quotations (p. 387). Unknown. Kindle Edition.After a too-long introduction, Comey recounts an experience he and his brother endured while quite young. The re-telling of this tale is riveting and indicative of a serious, thoughtful man that impressed me far more than any appearance he has made before congress or the media. I hope every reader will consider what young Comey went through, while going through a predicament that had him contemplating his own death twice, one evening. His frank discussion of his own weakness while confronting a thief is not what one would expect from a man now standing 6-foot eight-inches tall. To admit his cowardice and thoughts for self-preservation requires courage.Most of the early pages read more as a memoir than as the anticipated, and hyped, expose on President Donald J. Trump. Are these pages necessary content? I will let others decide. The writing, however, is far more engaging than I expected. What is interesting is the life lessons the author flashes back on while a young attorney (idolizing Rudy Giuliani, initially, then learning of his hero’s demand for the spotlight at all cost), and then harking back to earlier lessons as a teen and as a college student. Often, I am put off while trying to track through shifts in time, back and forth, in the way this book wrenches us. With this story, though, it worked okay.BLUSH FACTOR As with most modern books on politics and crime, there are a few profanities, so consider this while sharing with others. For me, though, the mention of such is notable because of the writer’s penchant, in public, to use such Boy Scout clean phrases as “Lordy” to substitute for more profane forms of exclamation. Still, I had no personal issues with the very few cuss words.HOW & WHERE SHOULD I READ THIS? I bought, both, the Kindle and the Audible version. I probably also will purchase the hard cover in time, for this is a book I want to refer to again and again. It is that prescient. However, the most gratifying version, for me, is the Audible copy, as it is narrated by James Comey, himself. While listening to him read his own words, I feel, I get a better sense of what he tried to communicate, and to his own character.HOW MUCH CONTENT IS DEVOTED TO TRUMP & COLLUSION? Basically, the first 40 percent of the book is devoted to other considerations, including memoir and such. So, if you’re looking for juicy stuff, be prepared to skip over the first half. As you do so, though, be aware that you will be missing the most entertaining, informative writing I’ve come across in recent years. At least as compared to other people who’ve served us in government.I’ve probably already irritated many readers with so much discussion. Still, I felt my take might help others understand that this story is far more than a few salacious sound bites that critics have been repeating to us in the media. I mean, Comey’s life story is outstanding and the telling to us is far better written and more engaging than I ever anticipated.EXCERPTPatrice and I were planning to stay in Richmond forever. We had good public schools, and a nice and relatively inexpensive house in a safe neighborhood. After Collin’s death, we had a healthy baby girl in 1996 and added another in 2000. We would raise the five kids in Richmond. I would do work I loved. We were set. Then the country was attacked on 9/11, and my phone rang.I was home from work one day in October 2001, watching the two youngest girls. Patrice was at church for the foundational meeting of a women’s group she was starting. She spoke inspiringly to the women about growing old together. But she couldn’t hear our phone ring from there. I heard it at home and answered. The man said he was calling from the White House because the president would like to know if I would be willing to return to Manhattan as the United States Attorney, the chief federal prosecutor. I assumed it was one of my hilarious friends, so I began to say, “Yeah, why don’t you kiss my a—” when the man cut me off, saying this was not a joke. President George W. Bush needed to appoint a new United States Attorney, there was something of a political logjam in New York over the pick, and they had decided I was the right person: I had worked in that office, I had done terrorism cases, and I would be acceptable to Democrats and Republicans. Would I do it?It is difficult at this distance to capture the feeling of the fall of 2001, a time of unity and purpose and anxiety in the country. Of course I will do it, I replied, “but my wife’s not home right now. I will call you back if she has a problem.” I hung up the phone, abandoned my caregiving responsibilities, and went out to stand in the driveway to wait for Patrice, my heart pounding.After what seemed like hours, she came driving up in our red Ford minivan. She got out, took one look at my face, and asked, “What’s wrong?”“Nothing’s wrong,” I answered, standing in the driveway without my little girls. “A guy called from the White House and asked me to be the U.S. Attorney in New York.”Her eyes started to well up. “You can’t say no.”“I didn’t say no. But I told him I would call back if you had a problem.”She began crying, her open hands covering her face. “I’m going back to New York. Oh my God, I’m going back to New York.”We were going back to New York, where the World Trade Center site still smoked. I would lead 250 prosecutors with hundreds of cases, ranging from terrorism to violent crime to corporate fraud, including what would be one of the most high-profile cases of my career.Patrice opened the minivan’s sliding door and the large ceramic plate that had held the bagels she took to church slid out. In a moment that was hard not to take as a prophetic metaphor, it shattered on the driveway.Comey, James. A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership (pp. 48-49). Flatiron Books. Kindle Edition.BOTTOM LINEI was prepared for a letdown. And, due to the media blitz and concentration on how much detail the writer spent on Trump’s appearance, I was prepared to even offer negative thoughts. Upon reading it, and especially upon listening to James Comey read his own words, I have concluded that what James Comey experienced, and what James Comey has reported, is classic Donald Trump versus Government. Unfortunately, Trump now IS the government.We are in for a rocky time.Five stars out of five.I trust readers of this review will offer up some advice as to what I did well, and what I did poorly in summarizing what I liked and what I did not like about this book. All viewpoints are respected and welcome, if provided in a similar vein.Thank you so much for taking the time to consider my thoughts and, especially, for taking a moment to pass on your thoughts.

A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership by James Comey“A Higher Loyalty” is a surprisingly insightful book on leadership at the highest levels of American government. Former FBI director James Comey provides the readers with his personal experiences from prosecuting the mafia and Martha Stewart to his unexpected firing by President Trump. This candid 293-page book includes the following fourteen chapters: 1. The Life, 2. This Things of Ours, 3. The Bully, 4. Meaning, 5. The Easy Lie, 6. On the Tracks, 7. Confirmation Bias, 8. In Hoover’s Shadow, 9. The Washington Listen, 10. Roadkill, 11. Speak of Conceal, 12. Trump Tower, 13. Tests of Loyalty, and 14. The Cloud.Positives:1. A joy to read. A candid, revealing page turner.2. A fascinating topic treated with utmost respect and care. James Comey is credible and candid.3. The book has great rhythm, Comey is an excellent storyteller and his characterizations of key players is very compelling.4. In many respects this book is about the defense of the integrity of the FBI versus Trump’s insistence to mix politics into it and demand loyalty.5. Many readers most likely will read this book to get the dirt on the current administration but Comey covers many of his important experiences including dealing with the mafia. “But the promises not to kill made guys, bed their wives, or deal dope were lies. Gravano and his fellow Mafia members routinely did all three.”6. Shares his experiences that led him to decide on a legal career. “Lawyers participate much more directly in the search for justice. That route, I thought, might be the best way to make a difference.”7. One of the strengths of this book is Comey’s ability to give very credible depictions of the key player of the book. “Rudy’s demeanor left a trail of resentment among the dozens of federal judges in Manhattan, many of whom had worked in that U.S. Attorney’s office. They thought he made the office about one person, himself, and used publicity about his cases as a way to foster his political ambitions rather than doing justice. It was a resentment that was still palpable when I became the chief federal prosecutor in Manhattan—and sat in Giuliani’s chair—a dozen years later.”8. Describes his experiences with bullies and his personal disdain for them. “Those years of bullying added up, minor indignity after indignity, making clear the consequences of power. Harry Howell had power, and he wielded it with compassion and understanding. That wasn’t always easy for him, because he had to deal with a lot of immature kids. Others had power, like the bullies at school, and they found it far easier to wield it against those who were defenseless and to just go along with the group rather than stand up to it.”9. Does a very good job of describing what drives him. “I carried in my wallet from the age of sixteen a quotation by Ralph Waldo Emerson: “It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.””10. Describes the people who influenced him. “I HAVE WORKED with great men over the years, but two of my most important teachers about life and leadership were women.”11. The lies!!! “He who permits to tell a lie once, finds it much easier to do it a second and third time, till at length it becomes habitual; he tells lies without attending to it, and truths without the world’s believing him. This falsehood of the tongue leads to that of the heart, and in time depraves all its good dispositions. – Thomas Jefferson”12. Much philosophy shared in this book, here is one of Comey’s favorite analogy. “I would explain that the problem with reservoirs is that they take a very long time to fill but they can be drained by one hole in the dam. The actions of one person can destroy what it took hundreds of people years to build.”13. Many interesting cases and stories including Martha Stewart, Scooter Libby, and Abu Ghraib torture case. “The Bureau had long ago concluded that coercive interrogations were of no utility, the information obtained largely useless or unreliable. Instead, over decades, the FBI had perfected the art of “rapport-building interrogation”—forming a trusting relationship with those in its custody.”14. Interesting interactions with people at the highest levels. “Mueller and I were not particularly close and had never seen each other outside of work, but I knew Bob understood and respected our legal position and cared deeply about the rule of law. His whole life was about doing things the right way. When I told him what was happening, he said he would be there immediately.”15. Insights into the FBI. “They helped me rewrite the organization’s mission statement to match what was already written on their hearts: they exist to “protect the American people and uphold the Constitution of the United States.”16. Much of this book revolves around leadership. “We would teach that great leaders are (1) people of integrity and decency; (2) confident enough to be humble; (3) both kind and tough; (4) transparent; and (5) aware that we all seek meaning in work. We would also teach them that (6) what they say is important, but what they do is far more important, because their people are always watching them. In short, we would demand and develop ethical leaders.”17. Some revealing admissions. “First, I said, we in law enforcement need to acknowledge the truth that we have long been the enforcers of a status quo in America that abused black people; we need to acknowledge our history because the people we serve and protect cannot forget it. Second, we all need to acknowledge that we carry implicit biases inside us, and if we aren’t careful, they can lead to assumptions and injustice. Third, something can happen to people in law enforcement who must respond to incidents resulting in the arrest of so many young men of color; it can warp perspectives and lead to cynicism. Finally, I said, we all must acknowledge that the police are not the root cause of the most challenging problems in our country’s worst neighborhoods, but that the actual causes and solutions are so hard that it is easier to talk only about the police.”18. Great respect and admiration for President Obama. “And this is where Barack Obama surprised me yet again. He was an extraordinary listener, as good as any I’ve seen in leadership.”19. A fascinating look at that whole email situation with Hillary Clinton, a really telling chapter in the book. “The facts of the case were straightforward: Hillary Clinton had used her personal email system, on a server and with an email address that was entirely of her own creation, to conduct her work as secretary of state.” “In Secretary Clinton’s case, the answer to the first question—was classified information mishandled?—was obviously “yes.””20. The case against Petraeus. “I argued strongly to Attorney General Holder that Petraeus also should be charged with a felony for lying to the Bureau. Replaying in my mind the Martha Stewart, Leonidas Young, and Scooter Libby cases, I argued that if we weren’t going to hold retired generals and CIA directors accountable for blatantly lying during investigations, how could we justify jailing thousands of others for doing the same thing?”21. Trump, Trump, Trump. “The four agencies had joined in the assessment, which was both stunning and straightforward: Russian president Vladimir Putin ordered an extensive effort to influence the 2016 presidential election. That effort, which came through cyber activity, social media, and Russian state media, had a variety of goals: undermining public faith in the American democratic process, denigrating Hillary Clinton and harming her electability and potential presidency, and helping Donald Trump get elected.” “I suddenly had the feeling that, in the blink of an eye, the president-elect was trying to make us all part of the same family and that Team Trump had made it a “thing of ours.” For my entire career, intelligence was a thing of mine and political spin a thing of yours. Team Trump wanted to change that.”22. The firing. “Donald Trump’s presidency threatens much of what is good in this nation. We all bear responsibility for the deeply flawed choices put before voters during the 2016 election, and our country is paying a high price: this president is unethical, and untethered to truth and institutional values. His leadership is transactional, ego driven, and about personal loyalty.”Negatives:1. No supplementary material. I would have liked a timeline, charts or diagrams.2. There is no doubt that Comey was restrained but he certainly made the best of it.3. Some readers will be disappointed that most of the book is not about Trump. That said, he builds an interesting momentum toward Trump.In summary, an excellent and credible account of Comey’s experiences at the highest levels of government. Comey cleverly shares his personal experiences while building a compelling case of what leadership is and why Trump does not meet such standards. He is defender of the integrity of the FBI and exposes the lies and conflicts brought upon by Trump’s administration. A must read!Further suggestions: “Fire and Fury” by Michael Wolff, “Trumpocracy” by David Frum, “What Happened “ by Hillary Rodham Clinton, “Can It Happen Here?: Authoritarianism in America” by Cass R. Sunstein, “Fantasyland: How America Went Haywire” by Kurt Andersen, “It’s Even Worse Than You Think” by David Cay Johnston, and “How Democracies Die” by Steven Levitsky.

Me gustó mucho. Trae unos ejemplos de la vida con lo que se puede aprender a valorar.

I bought this book to see what’s the fuss was about. Two-thirds of the book is James Comey biography and his fundamental standards. These 2/3 are a kind of memoir. Very cool to read.The last third goes into the Hilary email investigations and why he did what he did during elections time. This third also tells the story of Comey and Donald Trump. Is he a liar? Is he amoral? Is he a Casa Nostra Mafia kind of guy? It's up to each of us to say so and in doing that shape a better city, state, country, and world by extracting the better part of it all. The book ends reinstating the credo that the FBI, as an institution, has its independence and competence as a mission to defend the American People and the Constitution above all. That's true and I really hope that someday, looking for this moment, the world can say that this was a test of USA democracy and a period of time that made our institutions stronger. Excellent book James. Five stars for sure independently if you are red, blue or have no political color at all.

I cringed at Comey's recollection of his meetings with Trump: the president of "the free world", who didn't care to blur the lines between institutions and tipped the system of check and balances to his favor. Also, I really appreciated Comey's explanation of the Clinton's emails. The news media didn't help me to clarify the "matter" (which wasn't a "matter" at all) but his recount did. The connection with Anthony Weiner's laptop is shocking. I recommend this book to anybody who cares more about facts than opinions. Lady Justice is blind for reaso and that reason could be the one that will save the very concept of democracy in the Western world.

Got the book yesterday and couldn't put it down. Written with a learned and wise hand, with attention to detail from a keen observer of human nature and humankind, this book was much better than I had expected. With all the hoopla around it, I feared it would be mostly a cheesy tell-all like most of the Trump-exposés, but I found this book to be full of interesting stories that answered a lot of questions...and thankfully only a wee blurbette about Trump's looks etc...which have been rehashed ad nauseum by the news media and comedians (not that it isn't funny, but it's old joke territory by now). I was also afraid the book would be as dull and monotone as most lawyers seem to be, but it was colorful and rich with excellent writing and easy relatability. I believe Comey to be a highly intelligent academic that could have penned a novel far above the ability of the average Joe (like myself) to understand so I appreciated not having to flip open my dictionary every 2 minutes. I disliked the man when I didn't know why he hurt the Clinton campaign...but now I believe his intentions were not 'political' in the truest sense, and he truly thought he was doing the right thing. It wasn't, and he may have helped Don Trump (Don as in Don Corlene...not Donald) make the White House his very own nightclub basement where oaths to the Family are ceremoniously performed, but what's done is done and I can forgive him for being human and making a mistake. Lord knows he, and the USA, are suffering enough already. Comey proves to an enlightened and perspicacious man who had a lot to say, and said it well indeed.

Vorab: Ich kann nicht ansatzweise eine objektive Rezension schreiben, weil ich James Comey zuerst nicht mochte, aber jetzt ein Fan bin.Ich habe den Wahlkampf in den USA täglich verfolgt. Ich habe die Medien (MSNBC, FoxNews, etc) jeden Tag verfolgt."Donald Trump is a manchild ... he is a bafoon."Niemand hat damit gerechnet, das er Präsident wird, auch ich nicht. Ob ein Geschäftsführer in Deutschland das Buch interessant findet, um seinen Führungsstil zu ändern/verbessern ... ich weiß es nicht. Wenn er amerikanische Geschichte, die heute, hier und jetzt passiert langweilig findet ... ich weiß es nicht.Ich interessiere mich für die USA. Ich habe die Aussage von James Comey vor dem Kongress-Ausschuss gesehen. Mehr als 2 Stunden YouTube waren das.In meinem ganzen Leben habe ich noch NIE gesehen, dass sich Demokraten und Republikaner über etwas einig waren.Alle in diesem Ausschuss haben James Comey für seinen Arbeit gedankt und ihm versichert, dass er integer ist. Ich gehe einen Schritt weiter, James Comey ist der Inbegriff von- Integrität- Wahrheitsliebendund er ist "The rule of law" verschrieben.Er hat seine Arbeit für das FBI und die Mitarbeiter(innen) des FBI geliebt. Das zeigt nicht nur das Buch, das zeigt in fast jedem seiner Interviews. Seine Kollegin(innen) vom FBI haben ihm Aktenschränke voller Karten, Geschenke und Briefe geschickt, nachdem er gefeuert wurde.Donald Trump hat diese Liebe, diese Hingabe aus seiner Seele gerissen. Dafür ist seine "Abrechnung" wie sie es bei "Fox News" genannt haben, sehr sachlich. Ich kann in dem Buch keine Abrechnung finden. Ich sehe die Wahrheit in diesem Buch, ich sehe Integrität in diesem Buch. Ich sehe fundamentale Werte der USA, aber auch deutsche Werte (wie Gradlinigkeit) in diesem Buch.Sein Buch bringt mich zum Weinen, Lachen, Nachdenken und noch vieles mehr. Er benutzt kurze Sätze, erzählt kurze Geschichten und Anekdoten. Was ihm wichtig ist erzählt er lang und ausführlich, aber nie langweilig.Bei den Zeilen über Hillary Clintons Mails, die auf Anthony Weiners Laptop gefunden werden, schreie ich innerlich laut: "Lügen, James, schütze dich. Verschweige bis nach der Wahl, dass du etwas gefunden hast."Aber nicht mit James Comey. Er berät sich mit seinem Stab. Lügen kommt für ihn überhaupt nicht in Betracht. Das ist in seiner Gedankenwelt nicht vorhanden. Er bespricht die zwei Möglichkeiten "Reden" oder "Verschweigen". Die amerikanische Öffentlichkeit zu informieren oder den Weg "concealment" bestreiten. Randnotiz: Letzteres ist strafrechtlich relevant, im Gegensatz zu "collusion", was es im juristischen Sprachgebrauch nicht gibt.James Comey sucht verzweifelt nach der Tür mit der Aufschrift: "Nicht handeln"... aber diese Tür gibt es nicht. Also müssen er und sein Stab zwischen "schlecht" (Reden) und "katastrophal" (Verschweigen) wählen.Mit all seinem Wissen würde er heute wieder so handeln. Auch ein Grund: Er hat es nicht in Eigenregie gemacht hat, sondern mit seinem Team zusammen.Es liegt nicht in seiner Natur zu lügen, es liegt nicht in seiner Natur zu verschweigen oder dem FBI Schaden zuzufügen; also wurde am 28. Oktober 2016, kurz vor der Wahl, die Untersuchung neu eröffnet.Ich hätte bis nach der Wahl gelogen und verschwiegen. Ich hätte mir selbst nicht in diesem Maße geschadet; nicht vor einer Wahl, die einer Schlacht geglichen hat und an Tiefschlägen nicht zu unterbieten war.Aber James Comey unterliegt einer "higher loyalty".Das Buch erzählt viel über seine Familie. Seine Frau ist einer seiner wichtigsten Berater, auch wenn er mit ihr nicht über "Top Secret" Material sprechen darf.SPOILER ALERT: Als seine Mutter im Sterben liegt, gibt sie ihm einen Zettel, den sie über Jahrzente hinweg aufbewahrt hat. Als James Comey 7 Jahre alt war und er von seiner Mutter auf sein Zimmer geschickt wurde, hat er diesen Zettel geschrieben. "Ich entschuldige mich", sagt die Notiz als erstes. "Ich werde irgendwann ein großer [great] Mann sein, das verspreche ich."Meiner Meinung nach, hat er dieses Ziel mehr als übertroffen. Wenn es mehr Männer/Frauen wie ihn in Amerika gibt, dann besteht Hoffnung für die USA.