Standing Next to History: An Agent's Life Inside the Secret Service

There are no bits of sensational gossip in this book, and this is one reason that it is so enjoyable. Petro is clearly a stand-up kind of guy and I can see why he became so trusted in the Secret Service. It is quite interesting to see the human side of the agency (politics, competition, back-stabbing, etc.). One otherwise might tend to imagine the agents as kind of stiff. I was also impressed by his explanation of the way that protection is afforded the president via three concentric rings of coverage. This is a fast and easy read; well written and edited.

Mr. Petro was on The O'Reilly Factor discussing his book, which whetted my appetite for this truly fascinating account of life inside "The Service." From the opening pages, this work is a dignified account of a solemn duty, and the reader can sense that Mr. Petro took his charge with the utmost of seriousness. There is not one ounce of sanctimony in his tenor. He considered each assignment a sacred duty to protect, whether they were friend (Ronald Reagan) or foe (Arafat), whether he agreed with them politically (Dan Quayle, or The Pope), or not. What I love about this book is that Joseph Petro does not spend close to 300 pages patting himself on the back, displaying faux modesty making statements such as "I don't consider myself a hero." He's honest without being mawkishly sentimental (such as what one can see daily on Oprah). A subplot to this book harkens the reader back to a time when our leaders displayed a respect for the office they held, and carried themselves with a dignity that was commensurate with that office. In picture after picture you see this dignity reflected in the posture and demeanor of Joe Petro. This book is not only a tribute to the many courageous men and women of The Secret Service, it is also a tribute to the fine American who shared his life as he stood next to history: Agent Joseph Petro.

The Secret Service is one of the most well-known but mysterious organizations in the federal government. We see them almost everyday on television alongside the president as he works the ropes somewhere. In "Standing Next to History: An Agent's Life Inside the Secret Service", retired Special Agent Joseph Petro paints a wonderful picture of the protective bubble surrounding the American presidency. With fascinating stories from his years guarding the Reagans, the Fords, the Quayles, the Rockefellers, and even the pope, we receive a glimpse of what the world's leaders are truly like. We learn that the pope was one of those people who when he was hungry would begin digging through a pantry and we discover that Nancy Reagan was truly not the monster she was portrayed to be. With humorous anecdotes and occassional commentary on the Secret Service today, Joseph Petro has written a masterpiece and is perhaps the best book ever written on the United States Secret Service. "Standing Next to History" is a book that you can't put down once you pick it up and is certainly a must-read. Five stars are easily given here.

It's not often that non-fiction reads like a movie, but this does and like any great movie, this has it all. There is the high drama of protecting a high value target like Pope John Paul II, and the down to earth humor that came along with being part of the private enourage of Ronald Reagan. But when it comes to a spine chilling scene, none can beat the moment where Petro, armed with an Uzi submachine is riding in the Vice President's motorcade and spots an arm come out of the crowd with a gun. In the flash of a millisecond, he aims his weapon. As he says about Secret Service agents, when they fire they do not miss. In the flash of that same millisecond, he realizes that the gun is red. The color of the pistol, combined with years of concentrated training stops Petro from firing. Thank God, as it turned out to be a water pistol in the hand of a child. If that person reads this, he will understand how close he came to getting killed. For the rest of us, "Standing Next to History" beats most movies any day.

This is almost certainly the best book ever written (or likely to be written) about the Secret Service. It is also one of the best books ever written about Ronald Reagan. Special Agent Petro goes into terrific detail about how the Service protects the President, and how he and others protected Reagan. From practicing assassination attempts to battling with the French, the Japanese and the Canadians about how far the Service must go to keep the President safe, this book is both a credit to the Secret Service and a must read for anyone who wants to know how one vital component of the White House functions.