A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership

by James Comey

This is not normally the type of book you would find me reading, except for the fact that a few days ago while shopping in the Dollar Store I discovered that they had quite a selection of books! And amongst them was quite a lot of former FBI director James Comey’s 2018 book which, due to it’s black color, stood out from the rest, beckoning me to pick it up. And my thought was, “What the heck, it’s only a dollar ($1.25 these days), what have I got to lose?” Once home, I started in towards the back where Mr. Comey was relating, in great detail, how he and the FBI agents first met Donald Trump right after the election at Trump Tower in order to meet him and provide his first briefing. I have to say I was surprised by how well Mr. Comey writes. He is very detailed and takes you into whatever situation he is talking about. I felt as if I were right there with him throughout. After reading the Trump Tower chapter I realized that this was going to be a fascinating read, so I dutifully went back to the beginning and read every word from there!

Mr. Comey served as director of the FBI from 2013 to 2017, appointed to the post by President Barack Obama. In this book, Mr. Comey shares his never-before-told experiences from some of the highest-stakes situations of his career in the past two decades of American government, exploring what good, ethical leadership looks like, and how it drives sound decisions. His journey provides an unprecedented entry into the corridors of power, and is an extraordinary lesson in what makes an effective leader or not, as in Trump’s case.

The opening chapters of the book provide some important context for the book’s surreal conclusion. Mr. Comey talks about his childhood, about the early years of his career in law and in government service. He shares anecdotes about his family and his professional relationships. His role models were his bosses and mentors who guided him through his mistakes and recognized his potential. As a US attorney in New York, he prosecuted mob bosses. He learned about their customs and their behavior. All of this becomes relevant later when he shares his observations of Donald Trump as president.

The book is written in a very clear and lucid style. Mr. Comey's narrative is easy to follow and for the most part humble and believable. He definitely faced more agonizing decisions during the late months of the 2016 presidential campaign than most people will face in a lifetime, mostly due to the situation surrounding Hillary Clinton’s e-mails. And life didn’t get any easier once Trump took office. The closing chapters of the book stand out as an important telling of seminal events in US history. His meetings and interactions with the new president were carefully documented. Mr. Comey clearly sensed the darkness that had descended on the country, and he struggled with the dishonesty emanating daily from the White House.

I must say that this book is intelligently written. It is basically a personal and professional autobiography, and I found it appealing from a human perspective as well as informational as to the various workings within the justice system as well as the FBI. I found that I grew to respect Mr. Comey more and more as the book progressed, and, as angry as I was at the time of the disclosure re the Clinton emails, I now fully understand the torment of the decision he had to make. I do not see this work as partisan in any way. In fact, quite to the contrary, Mr. Comey was true both to his personal standards for integrity as well as to his duties to his jobs and to his country. Sadly, his fate appears to be the result of living in a world where integrity appears to be little more than a word in Webster's dictionary. I recommend all to read A Higher Loyalty without bias. There is much to be learned about self respect as well as honor.

James Comey had neither the intention nor the interest in being a major figure in the 2016 presidential election, but as director of the FBI he played a significant role during the late months of both parties’ campaigns. “A Higher Loyalty” is his telling of these tumultuous months, the months that followed, and the career that led up to his high position in the US government, and of his ultimate dismissal from that position. I heartily recommend the book, and congratulate James Comey for being such an entertaining writer. And I thank him for his service.