An interesting, albeit uneven read. An examination of the ways in which law enforcement and government (local and federal) encroach on certain American "liberties". Kirby is clearly a very good journalist, and provides plenty of endnotes and references. He's a good storyteller, too, and can paint an evocative picture when recounting examples of warrantless home raids, a predatory probation and bail system, and the frankly criminal "civil assets forfeiture" laws, and more. The author takes the Trump administration to task (no difficult feat), but also reflects on the ways in which policies from the Obama years laid the groundwork for Trump's abuses.

As the news becomes ever-more-filled with reports on the ways in which the American law enforcement industry has acquired new ways to infringe on the rights of Americans, this is an interesting book. It's sure to spark debate.

A scary important read the author shows us how government is intruding into our lives.We are shown the danger of the freedoms we are losing.A well researched book based on real events and court cases.This is not based on conspiracy theories this itrue facts.Highly recommend.#netgalley #st.martins

When They Come For You - How Police and Government Are Trampling our Liberties - And How to Take Them Back // by David Kirby

"Harrowing. This detailed and often shocking book...is investigative reporting at its most effective." -- Publishers Weekly

When They Come For You by David Kirby is an interesting look at the many ways US citizens can express themselves and live their lives as is allowed by the Constitution and other documents that build the foundation of the US legal system - but how they are mistreated, arrested, and sometimes prosecuted or even killed by their own government despite the laws set in place protecting them. In this book, Kirby shows us many examples of abuse on the local, state and federal level in many different parts of life, such as education, home, and transportation. He also showcases how different organizations throughout the US fight for the rights of citizens and how sometimes this leads to better laws and regulations.

This book is... eye-opening, to say the least. It is also somewhat terrifying. Many people are proud of their country and how much freedom is afforded to them, but here we see so many examples of how these freedoms are trampled on by the very people that are supposed to uphold them. The stories that are showcased in this book are well- researched and he lists his sources in the back of the book for anybody who wants to do their own research as well. I also like that he criticized both Democrats ad Republicans, showing the abuse that has happened under Obama as well as under Trump. What also makes this book feel so relevant is that he includes events from recent years with trials that have not happened yet, showing the readers that this is not just something abstract happening to certain people or in year past, but that this can happen to anyone and that we ourselves can influence the happenings in this country.

Thank you to the author, @stmartinspress and @netgalley for this informative book in exchange for an honest review.

Do you ever think the government has a little bit too much power? Way too much power? So does journalist David Kirby. In When They Come for You: How Police and Government are Trampling Our Liberties--and How to Take Them Back. Libertarians and readers of Reason magazine and similar publications have heard these stories, or stories much like them before. Kirby gives example after example of government overreach.



Like much of libertarian thought, Kirby's discussions will hit hot buttons for people on the left and the right. Both liberals and conservatives share a general bent toward freedom, albeit with gradations and occasional opposite positions. But Kirby's examples mostly cross any party or ideological lines. Is there a role for government in the protection of abused and neglected children? Yes, but Kirby reveals patterns of abuse and anecdotes of tragic imposition in family life by policies and practices of child protective services. Should police enforce drug trafficking prohibitions? Yes, but Kirby again gives plenty of examples where police unjustly seize property and cash in traffic stops and bank seizures. Many lives have been negatively impacted by the heavy hand of asset forfeiture.



Kirby gives lots and lots of reasons to get upset about government overreach. It's upsetting and eye-opening to hear these stories. He's not as strong on the subtitle; the "how to take your liberties back" portion isn't quite as strong. Nevertheless, it's worth a read and will challenge any perception you have of the goodness of government.





Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!

Everyone needs to read this book ! This is NOT a conspiracy theory book.. This is real court cases and real situations that have happened to real Americans. The author did extensive research over a period of time enough to gather evidence that the police and government are taking away all our rights. If you think this does not apply to you you are sadly mistaken. Read this book it will open your eyes to what is really happening in this country. Truly thankful to the author for this find body of work and for alerting the general public of what liberties and rights are disappearing under the boots of corrupt police and corrupt government officials. Please read this book it is a critical body of work. Very well done to the author and thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley.

From homes that were seized because the children of unsuspecting parents were selling drugs under their roof, to people who have gotten in trouble with the law for what they have said, I found many of these stories to be startling. I did not have any idea of the lack of protection offered to ordinary citizens. One of the most surprising things was that someone driving on a road could be pulled over and their money taken from them while being accused of having drug money when in fact the cash they carried could have very well been earned in a legal fashion, and how difficult it would be to get it back.

Some of the stories left me with very mixed emotions. In the first story, the police did act inappropriately in how they responded to a call about a keg party in a family home, but the issue remains there were many underage people there. (The parents bought the beer and were upstairs, away from the party.) Even though there was a pizza delivery guy who tipped the police off, the police were not supposed to enter any part of the premises that could not be seen from the street without a warrant, so because they looked into an enclosed backyard area, the charges were dropped against these parents, who purchased beer for minors.

Moreover, I noticed that this book really hits hard at organizations whose soul purpose is to help people, especially the police department. While there seems to be so much bad press about police officers in particular, and in some cases there is an element in this country that feels it is open season against them, I honestly think they are, for the most part, dedicated professionals trying to do the best job they can. So much focus is on the bad these days. I wonder how often when police get a call to go somewhere they think of those who have been lured to a nonexistent scene only to be shot. I’m sure their families are nervous for their safety. I believe in law and order. I don’t want to live in a country where lawlessness has taken over because no one wants to be a police officer anymore. Will it come to that?

I’d also like to note that there is some mention of things during the Obama administration that caught the authors attention, such as the media being targeted, that people think has only happened during the current Trump years.

A lot of change is needed, and this book certainly points that out. But it works both ways, doesn’t it? Citizens and authority figures alike need to work together in a respectful fashion to accomplish change. Not all these cases seem to be innocent people who did not deserve to get in trouble.

This book definitely falls into the elite category of must read/ need to know information. This is a terrifying look at the role of government overreach and the infringement of our constitutional rights. What many of us take for granted, corrupt government officials work studiously to take away. Both comprehensive and exhaustively researched, this fact based novel brings forward both well documented instances of civil rights infringements, as well as, less known cases. Regardless if they are well publicized or not, each case is no less shocking. It is abundantly clear that democracy and our rights will die in the dark, and that we can only hope to maintain these rights by being vigilant and forcing accountability on our public officials. A must read regardless of which end of the political spectrum that you lean. Review posted to Goodreads, LibraryThing, and Amazon.

Well-researched journalistic effort set to alert all Americans of the growing issue with the government's often unwarranted insertion into their lives.

The text is simultaneously as compelling as it is alarming. Yet, even though he aggressively yanks away the veil, Kirby provides practical solutions for all Americans to take.

Highly recommended for avid readers of political science texts.

WHEN THEY COME FOR YOU is a terrifying, yet hopeful look at what is going on currently in the United States.

Initially, readers may think the author is a Conspiracy Theorist, but will quickly discover that author David Kirby has definitely done his homework for this book.

WHEN THEY COME FOR YOU is incredibly well researched and every American needs to read it. If you thought you knew what the government and other large corporations are up to, you would be Dead-Wrong.

Although the discoveries he made are very scary, David Kirby does not just point out the issues/problems, he also offers up hope in the form of suggestions on how to live an informed and proactive life.

I have no idea who it was that originally said, "If you aren't part of the solution, you are part of the problem," but he/she/they were very much correct. However, it is very difficult to help fix an issue if you aren't aware that the problem exists. Read this book and begin to be proactive rather than reactive.

I rate this book as 4 OUT OF 5 STARS ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book.

Although little scary that things like this happens, I felt this was a very informative and well read book.

These are not stories of conspiracies or ones that are far fetched, but ones that are real and taken from everyday life and court cases. For people to believe that none of these could happen to them or their children would be a shame. I really would have liked the author to have looked at the Patriot Act more, for I don’t think people really know how all of our rights can be taken away because of that Act. He did show one case about the government looking at someone’s library account but when doing so they also get other peoples as well. It also gives them access to record phone conversations enter your home without a warrant all because of the attacks from 9-11 and now this act to protect against terrorism is actually being used by local, state, federal law enforcement agencies. Just something to think about. Overall a very good book.

If you don't think that you need to read this book, then you aren't paying attention. It's not a conspiracy theory book or some prepper manifesto. It is a study of actual events that have happened in the US in recent history. Well written, well researched, I've got nothing wrong to say except that I wish it wasn't right or needed.

This isn't your crazy uncle's conspiracy theory book. Incredibly well researched, written, and horrifying, this book rips the lid off any amount of rose colored glasses you might have been wearing re: our government and the cops in this country, among many other interesting topics, including civil forfeiture, vaccines, and researched backed data. It gets a bit dry in places and I think it could have been substantially edited to reduce the length of it, make it more palatable for every day readers. With that said, I think this should be required reading. You aren't paranoid, they really are coming for you, and while, obviously oppressed communities are far more often the target, if you think your privilege will save you when their sites are set, you need this book more than anyone.

Well Written. Flawed in Spots. Didn't Live Up To Potential. This book was solid in a journalistic sense - it has quite a bibliography at the end, though it went a bit editorial at times. Does a good job of showing some of the numerous ways the US government at every level works to deny the rights of its citizens, and mostly does a good job of balancing criticism between "both" "major" US political parties. Cites the dramatically undercounted Washington Post numbers when making claims of how many people police have killed - that number counts for several years less than the number of people that are actually killed in any given year. Similarly misinformed regarding vaccines, but that one in particular shouldn't be shocking given the author's prior work. Overall a good primer for those who aren't yet aware of the full breadth of the US government's abuses, though independent research should be done after reading this book. Recommended.