Name: A Higher Loyalty
ISBN: 9781250192455

James Comey

In his book, former FBI director James 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 a remarkable lesson in what makes an effective leader. Mr. Comey served as director of the FBI from 2013 to 2017, appointed to the post by President Barack Obama. He previously served as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, and the U.S. deputy attorney general in the administration of President George W. Bush. From prosecuting the Mafia and Martha Stewart to helping change the Bush administration's policies on torture and electronic surveillance, overseeing the Hillary Clinton e-mail investigation as well as ties between the Trump campaign and Russia, Comey has been involved in some of the most consequential cases and policies of recent history.

Truth, Lies, and Leadership

A Higher Loyalty

Lord Aragorn

Comey's attempt at describing his thought processes and consistency in actions. He comes across as honest flawed and consistent. An interesting read, not only about the Trump saga but also earlier events that Comey was involved in. Having read this right after Hillary's book, I'd say it is worth a read even if one does not agree with Comey's actions.

Matthew Royal

My impression of James Comey as a man is at odds with my impression of this book of his. 

Comey worked as General Counsel for Lockheed Martin at the same time I participated in their Leadership Development program, so I heard his keynote to us in 2010 as he was preparing to leave for Bridgewater. His speech's clarity and structure impressed me, and he gave us practical advice. His writing style sounds like the innocently principled prose of former President Jimmy Carter, but unlike Carter, deliberately prefaces his version of each event with stories of how honorable and bipartisan he is, even explicitly drawing parallels to George Washington. 

After spending most of the book emphasizing how critical it is to have good leaders, Comey says he's sure the country will be fine with a bad leader, and that we'll become stronger as a country because of it. I think this jarring inconsistency in his worldview is ego protection, allowing him to disown responsibility for the consequences of his actions. 

In the end, his argument appears to be that "good" people acting with "good" intentions can't possibly cause anything but "good" outcomes. That in fact, the consequences are irrelevant to people who act from their principles. In the best light, he appears to be invoking the modern Christian attitude of fatalism that "God is in control" or that it'll all turn out right in the end, even if that end is the apocalypse. 

This book adds very little additional information to current events and little value to leadership training, management, or political theory. It comes across as a dissembling cover-your-ass, and possibly a way of cashing in on media attention.

Nick Gracilla

What does it mean to be an ethical leader? How can one rise above partisanship, and serve a greater good over mere political parties? James Comey’s memoir lays out his honest attempts to do just this over the past few decades. Genuinely intriguing, highly readable, and a cautionary tale. I highly recommend it.

Tanner Hearne

An incredible study of leadership.

James Comey offers an incredible perspective through strong storytelling. The great leaders he describes are incredible examples of positive influence in the world, while the poor leaders he describes offer instruction in their failures.

This is the book to read to understand the integrity, character, and respect Americans must reclaim because our representatives, political commentators, and faith leaders have disgraced and discarded those important values.

This book with make you sad, but also give you hope for the future.

Sans

Donald Trump's presidency threatens much of what is good in this nation. We all bear responsibility for the deeply flawed choices put before voters during the 2016 election, and our country is paying a high price: this president is unethical, and untethered to the truth and institutional values. His leadership is transactional, ego driven, and about personal loyalty. We are fortunate some ethical leaders have chosen to serve and to stay at senior levels of government, but they cannot prevent all the damage from the forest fire that is the Trump presidency.

I'm not here for politics or partisan bullshit. I'm here because too many people believe lies and threats are the best way to get things done. Comey's theme and emphasis on ethics and competent leadership is something I think everyone needs to hear. Outside government, away from the drama of D.C., the lessons here are important and something we can all learn from.

Jessica 

Blog | Twitter | Instagram | Review also found here at Booked J. 

It's easy to judge those in power over making difficult, if not impossible, choices. It's even easier to form your entire opinion on a single action of someone. As someone who's pretty heavily immersed in politics, but still quite young and not always fully aware, I will admit straight away that I judged James Comey during the presidential election of 2016.

After all, so many of us did just the same. I don't know if it ever dawned on me how unfair it was to judge the former FBI director so harshly. What I do know for certain is that due to the outcome of said election, I didn't quite think of Comey as he was. Human. A Higher Loyalty is the perfect biography because it shows us the man; not he former FBI director. His questionable moves in 2016 remain but now the general public gets the not-so gentle reminder that James Comey is only as human as the rest of us.

A Higher Loyalty explores James Comey's origins, what shaped him into the man he is today, flaws and all. It explores his passion for his job. The desire to do what he feels is right. His love of his wife and family. The little tragedies in his personal life. The ups and downs of his career; the rise and fall of his position as FBI director. As with anyone in the public eye, what we see is only a fraction of what is actually happening behind the scenes and Comey tries his damnedest to explain, and rationalize, his actions throughout the presented timeline.

What I liked about how Comey wrote of three very different presidents is that although he tried to be as neutral as possible, it was apparently obvious just how he felt about each of them. This extends to the many other politicians he has met with throughout his life. Comey pens various meetings and conversations of all degrees quite similarly and to the point.

I think that ultimately James Comey was faced with something impossible and the results, in his mind, were inevitable. While he doesn't wholly take responsibility for the chain of events that followed one specific investigation, he does come across as sympathetic.

It's important to remember the, even if our morals are, the world we live in isn't always in black and white terms. Good and bad seem obvious to us, but Comey was--and is--in a position that most of us cannot begin to fathom. I say this as someone who is a lifelong democrat and who, obviously, wished for our president to be Hillary Clinton.

In no way am I saying I necessarily agree with or justify Comey's decision, only that after reading this book I see where he was coming from.

This book isn't a necessary read for everybody, and for many it may seem lackluster or try hard, but I do think it's an important read. It shines a different light on Comey that may not change your view of him, or his actions, but it gives you a desperately needed perspective.

A Higher Loyalty Truth, Lies, and Leadership