Rating: 
Summary: The Spy Who Stayed Out In The Cold is a great read.
Review: Adrian Havill's new book, The Spy Who Stayed Out In The Cold: The Secret Life of FBI Agent Robert Hanssen, is a fascinating account of an appalling chapter in our country's recent history. While I must admit I am a spy story enthusiast, it's dismaying the Hanssen story is true. Havill lays out in acute detail how and why Hanssen betrayed his country. Hanssen began spying for the Soviets at least sixteen years ago because he felt unsatisfied and bored with his life. Although he was stuck as a mid-level bureaucrat at the FBI, he did not seem to be an likely candidate for a traitor. He was a devout Roman Catholic, a devoted father of six children, and husband to a lovely wife. Hanssen played a high-stakes game with counter-intelligence agents and won that game until he finally was arrested in February, 2001. The price for Hanssen's betrayal was relatively modest. He received 600,000 dollars in cash and diamonds directly. He received another 800,000 dollars that were placed on deposit in a Moscow bank. Part of his ill-gotten gains was spent to educate his children in fine Catholic schools, and more was spent on a stripper from Ohio. During his lengthy spying career, Hanssen provided to the Soviets over 6,000 pages of this nation's most highly classified secrets. Several agents working for the US were betrayed by him, and at least two of them were executed as a result. All in all, Hanssen did incalculable damage to his country. The author wrote a detailed and compelling book that is well worth the reader's time. I recommend it. This book will not disappoint.
Rating:
Summary: Definitive!!
Review: After just reading the disappointing "Into The Mirror" as well as the rest, this book remains as the only complete account on Hanssen. The great photo section with photos of Hanssen in his youth is a bonus! Complete, with a great chapter on the creepy Opus Dei sect.
Rating: 
Summary: Let's rate all three
Review: Consider this to be a sort of consumer's guide to the three Hanssen books on the market, from one who's read them all . . .
1.THE BUREAU AND THE MOLE has a good photo section but no index or bibliography, both essential in my opinion. Half of it is a bio of Louis Freeh, who should hang his head in shame rather than be credited for uncovering Hanssen. The sex revelations are here, but unless you like pornography I advise you to skip the part about Hanssen's postings on the internet. Still, the information about Bonnie Hanssen's brother--an FBI agent--who suspected him and was ignored is almost worth the price of the book. Four stars.
2. THE SPY NEXT DOOR has an index but no photos and no bibliography. The writing is a little wooden and there are little mistakes like getting the church where the Hanssen's were married wrong. They have some sex stuff too, but thankfully no internet ramblings. A workmanlike job that reads like a Time magazine cover story.
3. THE SPY WHO STAYED OUT IN THE COLD has photos, a bibliography, and an index. It's also about 30 pages longer than the other two. Alas, no sex though the chapter on the stripper runs for some 12 pages and is titillating.It's the most complete with its biggest scoop being that Hanssen told friends he wanted to be a double agent long before he joined the FBI and thus should have never been hired. Four-and-a-half stars.
Rating:
Summary: Engrossing and well written
Review: Havill, once again, has written an engrossing book. I will proclaim my own bias by pointing out something, though. On page 173, Havill mentions the Clinton years "begin with the shoot-outs at Ruby Ridge and Waco." Well, actually, no, George the first was president at the time of Ruby Ridge. And Havill's comment about "King William" make me wonder about his agenda when most of the spying going on is during the Reagan-Bush years. In books about policies or personalities you expect that: you know where the author is coming from and you digest the material accordingly. In a book that is SUPPOSED to be about Robert Hanson I find it telling that the only president he mentions in a derogatory manner is Clinton. Makes me wonder if there is other information he left out. . .Still, you can't fault the guy's talent for spinning a phrase. A worthy book.
Rating: 
Summary: HORRIBLE!!!!!
Review: HORRIBLE!!!...Mass
My classmates and I voted on this book because it seemed very interesting. As I began reading chapter after chapter, everything started to get confusing. There would be times in this book where the story would just stop and jump into another story, such as unnecessary letters. The book did not stay right on point with its story about Hanssen being a spy. As the story got into the Opus Dei's "religion" or their beliefs, I asked my self WHAT does this have to do with beig a SPY? I do not recommend this book to anybody. It's not a steady pace book.
Rating:
Summary: What's Going On Here?
Review: I have always been interested in stories of espionage and betrayal. Six years ago I read two books on Aldrich Ames, who was Robert Hanssen's predecessor in the CIA.
This account is dense, and focuses deeply on Hanssen's motivation, particularly his ties to a little known organisation within the Catholic church. It's not surprising then, that the group's friends and sympathisers are howling elsewhere on this page.
A review in the November 20th Washington Times called this book "a meticulous account" and I would have to agree. The best single praise I can give is it kept me turning the pages like any good thriller. Unfortunately--and that is what is so appalling--this story is true. Hanssen's crimes seem even worse in the aftermath of September 11th. The nuclear secrets he sold to the Soviets were likely sold to Iran and Iraq and God knows who else. At least that is what I have read. Hanssen should have known that when he was hiding packages under bridges,and pretending to be James Bond.His betrayal is to his country AND his family.
Rating: 
Summary: Confusing with a few interesting passages thrown in
Review: I managed to delve into this book as required reading for English 111 class. This was a very promising subject, but was a very hard book to read. The structure breaks under the weight of unnecessary information, and even the necessary parts are jumbled and mishmashed. What I found the most interesting was the many eccentricities in which Robert Hanssen exhibited. If Adrian Havill included more of this guys freakish nature this book would be a must read.
Robert Hanssen was apparently not a stupid man, but he was idiotic in many ways. To feel the need to join a group such as Opus Dei one has to be a little moronic. He was also insane, and that is the main appeal of this book. I would like to read more about groups such as Opus Dei than the espionage parts, because the spy game while interesting is nothing compared to wackos and unstable individuals. This is the main reason I wanted to originally read about the Zodiac killer.
The fact that this guy would waste his money trying to reform a stripper with the intention of trying to redeem himself (p141-149) shows you that he was not playing with a full deck. On pages 155-159 you can read about Bob assaulting his female employee Kim Litchenburg and dragging her about on the floor.
The fact of the matter is that Mr. Hanssen never cared about anybody but himself. He was computer literate yet selfish and a social moron. I know there are more people like this in charge of government agencies. I would like to read their stories also. Maybe they will cannibalize someone as a means for redemption,or have all their underlings drink poison Kool-Aid Like Jim Jones.
Rating:
Summary: I Will Just Discuss the Book as a Book
Review: Let me say I was shocked to read this book and how this guy spied for so many years, was a very devout catholic and supported a hooker on the side and nobody including his wife and co-workers caught on. That is amazing. Now getting to the book review - 4 stars - compelling story, well researched, it all flows together. Havill does a nice job of bringing some facts together and making a smooth running story. It borders on being a page turner, but not quite. Excellent if you like thus stuff. Recommend buying. Jack in Toronto
Rating:
Summary: Yet Another Attempt to Understand Robert Hanssen
Review: Mr. Havill does a first rate job of detailing for us the activites of this traitor. The image of the FBI that emerges from this account is, however, very disturbing. One hopes that Mr. Ashcroft has read the book and is mad enough to make some serious systematic changes within the Bureau. James Woolsey's role as portrayed by Mr. Havill is disturbing as well.I would highly recommend this book to all concerned with our basic national security.
Rating:
Summary: Creepy, creepy
Review: Much like the nerdy guy in science lab who made your skin crawl, the sight of Robert Hanssen is a creepy sight. Adrian Havill briefly describes the life of the man described as the most destructive known double agent in the US's history. What makes this spy so sinister is his ability to blend into the everyday, perhaps a bit odd, but no odder than your Uncle Larry.....What emerges is a portrait of a man so convinced he had (or may still have) the inside track on what is RIGHT...and the true way, spying for the Russians because he felt he was superior in his knowledge and value system. There are times when I felt the author is over his head, and when the story is just too weird. Hanssen's involvement with tryong to "save" the souls of exotic dancers would be amusing if you didn't have the thought of a devoted wife and family in the back of your mind. Because Hanssen is not saying much this book leaves much untold, and much unexplained. It did reveal more of the scope of the betrayal and damage done by this man.....an interesting book, but left me wishing I could know more.
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