In the President's Secret Service

Kessler, Ronald. In the President's Secret Service: Behind the Scenes with Agents in the Line of Fire and the Presidents They Protect. 2009. 288p. ISBN 9780307461353. 

The United States Secret Service was created to protect the President of the United States following the assassination of Abraham Lincoln in 1865. The Service was also assigned the task of investigating counterfeiting currency. Over the last 150 years, the Secret Services have seen their share of incidents, with the assassinations of John F. Kennedy and James Garfield, and attempts made on numerous others, including a near-deadly one on Ronald Reagan. Over the years, the number of people they protect has increased to include the Vice-President, members of the President and the Vice-President's families, dignitaries from other countries, and other members of the Administration.

Secret Service agents pride themselves on keeping information on the person they protect private. But several incidents in the 2000s revealed that the agency was plagued with mismanagement, staff burnouts, lax security, and abuse of taxpayer funds. As a result, the Secret Service and its functions was thrust in the public eye, with Congressional hearings and procedural changes.

Part history, part salacious details, In the President's Secret Service describes the basic functions of the Secret Service, and how the agency has evolved in the recent past. Fans of presidential trivia will enjoy hearing about how presidents and their families act when the public's eye is not focused on them.