The FBI veteran behind the Russia investigation draws on decades of experience hunting foreign agents in the United States to explore the threat posed by President Trump.
Strzok, one of the most notorious FBI officials in history, wants to rehabilitate himself. But he leaves out parts of the story about which most readers probably are most curious—including his relationship with former FBI lawyer Lisa Page ... He aims to tell the story from the cog's-eye view about what the whole team at the FBI uncovered ... That case, at least, Strzok is willing to make in detail, beginning with a gripping section about his role in one of the FBI's great counterintelligence successes ... Aficionados will welcome the insights he is able to provide about key moments in the story, but newcomers may struggle to keep their heads above water. For those with a solid background in the Clinton email and Russia imbroglios, Strzok's account obviously is essential.
Strzok delivers a compelling tale, though at times a frustrating one, layered with excessive restraint and insufficient self-awareness. The author says he has become more dogmatic regarding right and wrong as he has grown older. Yet the story he tells, and his own role in it, and that of the institution he long served, are trapped in shades of gray ... Strzok is as critical of Trump as he is zealous in defense of the FBI, sometimes to the point of contradiction. He is indignant that anyone would question the bureau’s motives for opening particular investigations, even while recalling how colleagues expressed their hope that he could get the goods on Clinton ... Strzok refuses to discuss the particulars of the affair [with Lisa Page] in Compromised, except to admit that he is 'ashamed' ... It’s an understandable decision—except you can’t sidestep the context in which those texts were sent while also insisting that their true meaning and intent were wildly misinterpreted by the conservative media.
He has an axe to grind, and his book makes compelling reading. He offers a window into FBI counter-intelligence work, a defense of his conduct, and a scathing indictment of the president and his administration. Compromised is a significant contribution to the library of Trump tell-alls. It is not dull ... Unfortunately, Compromised omits crucial facts and gets small things wrong ... Portions of it are a vivid reminder that the cold war between the US and USSR was replaced by rivalry between the US and Russia.
