Rating: 
Summary: ILLUMINATING
Review: I have wanted to read one of the books about Hanssen, but kept getting conflicting reviews about which was the best book.....So I saw this in paperback, realized I had hesitated long enough, bought it, and read it. It is very illuminating as to the reasons Hanssen is the way he is--for the most part an inept jerk, though scholarly intelligent. I will read another of book on Hanssen, because there is probably much more than is reported here. Though I found the alternating chapters about Freeh interesting, I felt they were fillers and really had no place in this book. Still, the book held my attention all the way through, and so I will give it 5 stars even though it left me wanting more.
Rating: 
Summary: Well-Written But Limited Examination Of Hanssen Spy Story!
Review: One almost comical aspect of the continuing revelations concerning the network of spies and traitors operating deep within the bowels of the CIA and FBI is the way it belies our assumptions regarding security measures in this country. As is becoming clearer with recent announcements pertaining to the degree to which various had important information that might have helped to prevent the incidences occurring on September 11th, but either buried in their own files or refused to share with other agencies for a variety of self-serving purposes. We are neither well-organized nor well-disposed in regards to civil defense preparedness to guard against such terrorist acts. So too, this excellent biography of master spy Robert Philip Hanssen, a senior official within the headquarters staff of the FBI, shows how poorly we have managed and safeguarded our national secrets. Hanssen managed to hide in plain sight as a mole for the Russians, divulging sensitive and secret information gleaned from the files of the FBU, CIA, NSA, and the Executive Branch. His actions of betrayal undermined decades of work to protect such information regarding our national defense, and finally triggered one of the longest and most intense manhunts in modern history. His capture came after a long a tortuous cat and mouse game set into motion by FBI chief Louis Freeh, who quickly came to suspect a highly placed mole within the FBI soon after taking the reins of the agency. So it turns out, certain aspects of a secret life seemed to appeal to this bizarre but brilliant opportunist, who rose from relative poverty and obscurity after graduating from college. Yet, so dour and serious was his demeanor that he was nicknamed "Dr. Death' for his strait-laced dress style, which consisted exclusively of plain black suits, wingtips, and subdued ties. He had been questioned a number of times in connection with the suspected espionage, but was never taken seriously as a suspect until he was captured red-handed with a satchel-full of data at one of the Russian drop-spots. Author David Vise does a journeyman's job of revealing aspects of Hanssen's background, personality, and social circumstances that help the reader to better understand why and how such a man, so seemingly dedicated to the country could so handily betray it literally for decades, and all for nothing more than a fistful of money. To briefly summarize, this is an interesting book, and one that actively seeks to find some rationale for what Hanssen did and why he continued to do so for decades before being caught. While the author tends to fawn over Mr. Freeh and the FBI a bit much, the book is in fact well written and quite interesting and absorbing to experience. It is a quick and an enjoyable read. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Engrossing true spy thriller
Review: Read THE BUREAU AND THE MOLE by David A. Vise,
an engrossing true spy thriller about the unmasking of Robert Philip Hanssen--the most dangerous double agent in FBI history. I was amazed to learn how Hannsen escaped detection for so
long . . . also, I liked how the author unfolded his tale, along with that of FBI Director Louis J. Freeh (the man who set the trap that would expose the traitor within its mist). Spy thrillers are not typically my favorite type of reading, but I'm glad I made an exception for this one . . . the fact thatit was true made it so much more harrowing. There were many memorable passages; among them:
Sex, among both numeraries and supernumeraries, is a taboo
subject, and discussion of homosexuality in any form is
considered dangerous because it can poison the soul. Opus
Dei itself is tightlipped about the lives and roles on numeraries. One of the Hanssens' daughters, Sue, is a numerary who, as required by Opus Dei, sleeps on a wooden board every night and without a pillow once a week. (Women are treated more
harshly than men in Opus Dei in order to quell their passions,
officials say.) When Sue's sister, Jane, got married a number
of years ago, Sue turned down her invitation to be a bridesmaid.
Opus Dei would not allow Sue to take a man's arm and walk
down the aisle in a wedding. At the same time, Bob's head was spinning. He thought he knew
how to handle Bonnie. According to a friend of Bob's, "He has
a little theory that every day you have to tell a woman a certain amount of positive things, and if you do, things will always be good. He called it his 'counter theory." He said in a woman's brain there is a counter and they count up the good things you say to them and the positive strokes you give them." As far as his work was concerned, Bob didn't want Bonnie to know anything. He had to do a better job of concealing things. And to make matters worse, now a priest was involved. Freeh knew that the FBI was at its best in a crisis, and he
talked tough from the start. "We will search you and find you,"
he said. "There is no place on earth where you will be safe
from the most powerful forces of justice." The director made it
clear that he and other senior FBI personnel, along with
thousands of agents and forensics experts working on the
case, were on a mission. Instead of regular shifts, they
began putting in as many hours as possible each day until
they needed a few hours of rest. It was during times likes these
that Freeh, director of an agency with a multibillion-dollar
budget and thousands of employees, earned the nickname
"the presidentially appointed case agent." Rather than planning
for the long-term or staying abreast of developing cases and
issues, Freeh became completely and totally involved in the
details of the Oklahoma City bombing and a handful of other
high-profile cases on his watch.
Rating: 
Summary: Why the Death Penality Should be Used for Traitors
Review: Dave Vise's Book "The Bureau and the Mole: The Unmasking of Robert Philip Hanssen, the Most Dangerous Double Agent in FBI History" is a good chronology on the actions of one of the worst government employee that this country has ever had. It is not difficult to read and really makes you wonder on why people who can sell out their friends, their families, and their country have any reason to be left living.
Rating: 
Summary: X Rated
Review: The dust jacket should carry a XXX rating. The inclusion of Hansen's sex fantasies render this book worthless. They don't contribute to understanding Hansen's motivation to spy. Instead Vise takes pleasure in vilifying Hansen's family and friends who don't deserve this treatment. Robert Hansen is the traitor. The parallel bio of Louis Freeh is a distraction.
Rating:
Summary: Does this guy like Louis Freeh or what?!?
Review: I found the story behind the weird and sordid mind of Robert Hanesen to be an interesting read. The author definitely has a love for Louis Freeh though, which to me is kind of annoying, considering the shape of the FBI was in when he left.
Rating: 
Summary: A Striking, Compelling Dust Jacket...
Review: Surely David Vise will exclude this anemic effort from his heretofore impressive professional portfolio. I echo the sentiments of several customer reviewers who accurately observe The Bureau And The Mole is long on opinion, weakly drawn conclusions and pop psychology, and short on documented fact. No doubt to compensate for a dearth of substance as to how and why Robert Hanssen did what he did, Mr. Vise sloppily weaves in a parallel biography of former FBI Director Louis Freeh which, while mildly interesting, only serves to distract and detract from what should have been a compelling narrative on the most dastardly spy in US history. A story this big and complex warrants a far more serious effort than that put forth in this altogether disappointing book.
Rating:
Summary: Yet Another Phillip Hanssen Book - Get'Em Now!
Review: Here we go...another attempt to get a book out in time to sell it before the general public forgets who the subject is. Problem is with that theory is that we have seveal books that are way too much a like. If only one would have covered his chilhood better and paid epecial attention to Opus Dei, both of which I believe had more effect than anyone will ever know. I'd also like to know how an FBI Agent got his hands on all this supposed NSA and CIA information. Even in these days of "Homeland Security", these folks just don't share well at all. I think there is/was a middle-man (CIA?) in there somewhere. No way NSA or CIA would reveal info to the FBI, who they consider just to be the Federal police dept with no "need to know" anything important of an international nature. The whole thing sounds bogus to me. - Former NSA Employee
Rating:
Summary: I Was Disappointed
Review: To say that this is a brief study of the Hanssen spy case would be similar to saying that it gets a bit warm in Death Valley. If you are looking at this book you probably know a little about the Hanssen spy case and are hoping to find a well-written book to cover the details. Well, this is a well-written book; it flows very well, which is due to the fact that the author is talented. On the other hand the details of the Hanssen spy case are few and far between. It really seamed to me that Vice just strung together all of the articles he wrote for the newspaper and called it a book. The fact that the book was light on the details was a disappointment to me because of the fact that Hanssen has been described in the press as maybe one of the best spy's to have worked for Russia. Also the author interviewed so many of Hanssen's friends, family, co-workers and FBI agents on the case, I expected a book full of details. I wanted more on how Hanssen got away with it, what were all of his procedures / trade craft, how did the Russian's work with him, what kind of damage did he do to the US. The book covers the surface on these items, but not enough depth to make it interesting. The author does spend about 40% of the book on a long description on the career of FBI Director Louis Freeh and the major FBI cases during the 90's. Although this would be an interesting book in its self, it seamed to me that the author used it here as filler to give the book some size. The author (in another attempt to increase the size of the book) tries to explain why Hanssen did it. To explain the motives of Hanssen, the author gives us an overview of Hanssen's childhood, a review of his rather conservative religious lifestyle, and some almost laughable psychological analysis on the personality reasons behind the betrayal. I also thought that the 20 pages of appendixes at the back of the book a little redundant and pretty unnecessary, especially the one detailing his Internet postings regarding his sexual fantasies. What could have been very helpful in these pages was a detailed analysis of the information given to the Russians and how it would hurt the US, not the slapdash attempt made by the author. One last gripe, why no footnotes or source / bibliography notes? Overall I came away from the book thinking it was a disappointment. It was readable and you will not have to spend a great deal of time on it, but it really is not worth the time unless you just want a light, overview with some porn thrown in for good measure. No wonder the author bought 100,000 copies of it himself to get the sales ranking up there, I do not think it would have done it on its own.
Rating:
Summary: Reads like a gossip column
Review: There are several books on this topic and I was uncertain which to read. I went with Vise based on his Pulitzer Prize. Frankly, I was disappointed. The book is not very well written. There's not much new here you couldn't get from the New York Times. Vise fills pages by writing alternating chapters about FBI director Louis Freeh. But Vise's lionized portrait of Freeh as courageous crime fighter rings hollow, particularly in light of September 11, and other FBI failures on Freeh's watch. The book gives you all the relevant information about Hansson, who was clearly a very dangerous and disturbed person. But the writing doesn't read like top rate journalism; it feels like gossip column filler. Although I haven't read the other books on this case, I'd recommend starting elsewhere.
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