Thank you for this copy of White Robes and Broken Badges. I found the book to be informative and anxiety inducing. Joe Moore presented his experience similar to a sniper; with detailed observation and controlled emotion. His knowledge of KKK's current activities is concerning, especially as it pertains to the current election and powerful individuals at different levels of government and in police force.

An interesting behind the scenes look of an undercover agent working against the white supremacy movement.

#NetGalley

White Robes and Broken Badges is the memoir of Joe Moore, an Army veteran who spent ten years infiltrating the KKK as an undercover FBI informant. Moore offers this account as context for the recent heightened mainstream awareness of white supremacist organizations, in part due to their shift from autonomous underground groups to a larger, more openly operating coalition. Moore's undercover work spanned the surge in KKK membership and activity in the 2010s in response to the election of President Obama and the new legitimacy they received from the Trump administration. Moore recognizes that the stakes of his work with a renewed sense of urgency in light of the attempted insurrection on January 6, 2021.

The memoir portions of Moore's story are compelling. The story of his undercover work contains all the intrigue of a spy novel. He deftly conveys the tension of maintaining a double life, and the strain of living in protective custody for an extended period. I am surprised by Moore's focus on the risk to his family's safety, given this choice to tell the full story publicly. I also struggled with the conclusions and broader interpretations Moore offers of his undercover work. The final chapter "Be Very Afraid" is particularly heavy-handed in its warning that January 6 is only the beginning. I acknowledge the urgency that led Moore to publish his story at this particular moment, but the analysis is not as compelling as the story itself.

White Robes and Broken Badges was an excellent read. I liked learning more about working undercover, and how insidious white supremacy is, especially in law enforcement.

This book is just fantastic and was way more informative than I ever expected [you just never know with biography/memoirs]. Once I stated it, I didn't want to stoop and ended up finishing it in two days and then had MASSIVE book hangover because W O W.

This is the story of a man, who after his military service, is called by the FBI to try and inflitrate the KKK, not once, but TWICE [and great risk to himself and his family] and goes very deep each time [he talks at length about what he did to keep from losing himself when he was undercover and that was very interesting to read] - enough to bring those factions of the klan down and to bring charges/convictions against some of the men who he was spending time with [in the second infiltration, he rose through the ranks very quickly and got involved in some stuff that only his quick thinking and smart talking kept him from doing hideous and horrible things].

Filled with personal stories mixed in with his time within the klan, the author also delves into what it means to have an uptick in these hate groups [and how they evolved out of the KKK, when they were languishing], and how dangerous they truly are and how January 6th was really just a warm-up for what they truly want to do and how terrifying that knowledge should be for all of us and how all of us that despise all that those hate groups stand for and love democracy need to fight and VOTE like we have never done before.

This should be a must-read for anyone who believes in democracy and truth.

Thank you to NetGalley, Joe Moore [thank you sir for your service and for the hard work you've done and continue to do], and Harper for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Didn’t make it as far as I would like because the intro had me thinking, “what will be different from Spike Lee’s film and will I learn something new?” I was too tired to venture forth and find the answer.

3.5, rounded up. Prepare to be fairly infuriated by this story, both at what Joe Moore discovered and at how it's influenced and infiltrated government and culture at large.

Wow. White Robes and Broken Badges is a riveting true crime memoir that I read in less than two days. Joe Moore details his experiences infiltrating the KKK not once, but twice, and it is engrossing the whole way through! I was truly shocked at how active the organization still is, as we mainly hear of the newer far-right white supremacist groups.

I really appreciate and applaud the author for being so open about his mental health struggles! Moore describes his downward spiral that resulted in an honorable discharge from the military, and how he finally got help. It was on his road to recovery that he was approached to be an informant for the FBI. Mental health care is beyond lacking for veterans, and I’m thankful to the author for shedding light on this important topic.

My only hang-up was this memoir came off more than little braggy at times, which I guess is well-deserved given what Joe Moore accomplished? Either way, the inflated ego got to me a bit.

This book was captivating, horrifying, and completely unputdownable. It honestly left me more than a bit scared about the future of this country. I was already worried, but now…damn. I’ll just say, please make sure you’re registered to vote! White Robes and Broken Badges is a must-read. For all of my anti-nonfiction peeps, this is one I think you’ll love, too!

Big thanks to NetGalley and Harper for the gifted ARC!

Absolutely no idea how this book is getting fours and fives from other readers. I am a big memoir reader, and this is one of the most self aggrandizing memoirs I have ever read. If this book didn't have a forward written by Jamie Raskin, I would have concluded that this book was completely false based solely on the fact that it's written in a way that makes it clear the author has the biggest ego I have ever experienced.

Infiltrating the KKK and helping the FBI take down people attempting to commit actual murder is commendable. I am not saying that Moore's experience, assuming everything in the book is true, is not incredible and memoir-worthy. It is merely the tone of the book. Every time Moore talks to an FBI agent, they're absolutely flabbergasted by how good he is at gathering information, as if no one has been a successful undercover informant. Moore acts as if the FBI knew literally nothing about the Klan, despite the fact that this is not the first informant I have learned of who has infiltrated the KKK on behalf of the FBI.

The end is what really got me. (so spoiler alert here) After the successful trial of two Klansmen, which occurred in 2017, Moore discusses how the Klan is severely damaged and numbers begin dropping. This is despite the fact that 1) Moore told us in the beginning of the book that the Klan works so well because there is no true centralized order, as shown by his ability to infiltrate the Klan in one Florida town and semi-quickly infiltrate the Klan in another Florida town without anyone suspecting anything, and 2) Moore telling us TWO PAGES LATER that Klan numbers started going up after the 2016 election. So what is it, Joe?!

I got so tired of reading things like, "I talked to an FBI officer I cannot name in a Florida restaurant I also cannot name..." WE GET IT. YOU'RE AN INFORMANT. God it was so exhausting. Also, he did give us a LOT of information about his family that I would assume he shouldn't be doing for the protection of his family? So these three guys went to prison for less than 15 years, and your family is moving back to Florida, with the same legal names they already know (this book is published under his first legal name, not the one he changes it to after going into protective care)??? I feel like it wouldn't be that unreasonable for the Klan to be upset with you and your family Joe, not even 10 years after the trial? This added to the lack of believability for me. You won't tell us the name of the restaurant you are at with an FBI officer (which honestly, who even cares), but you'll tell us the name of your children and what state you're currently living in? Why?!

All in all, I suffered through the last half of this. Would not recommend.

Thank you to Harper and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was certainly an eye opening and educational book about the KKK. Although they have a sinful outlook on people in general, it did give a mutual point of view on how they operate. The author dealt with them on two separate occasions, and shared his opinions and thoughts in a thoughtful and concise book. I heartily recommend this to anyone interested in the danger facing our democracy today.

Joe Moore delivers a fantastic true story of intrigue, secrets and the lengths that people will go to stop evil and bad people. Moore and his infiltration of the Ku Klux Klan is riveting and intense as Moore dives deeper into the group to destroy them from the inside.

I spent 30 years working in law enforcement, 21 of them in Federal Prisons. I learned a lot about hate groups, especially the white supremacist groups. Lest anyone doubt it, they are out there, they are active, and they are determined. That's why I requested this book as an ARC from NetGalley, to learn a little more about what's been happening since my retirement. I have to admit, I was not aware of how much these groups have grown since 2010! It's shocking, really. I don't understand it, can't fathom the errors in thinking that some people are making, and am very disappointed that so many white Americans (predominantly poor, it seems) tend to follow those people they see as "leaders".
The author tells a good story. It's easy to read, hard to put down, and thought-provoking. He has done our country a great service. My only criticism is his very, very high opinion of himself and what he believes he knows better than any law enforcement agency. I hate to burst his bubble, but some of the "revelations" he makes, and statements that the FBI had no idea of, were well known even back in the days I walked the cell blocks. If not for that, I would have given a five star review.

This was an amazing read that provides the true story of Joe Moore infiltrating the KKK on two Separate occasions and also a look into some of his personal life as well. It provides insight into some history of the kkk as well as how it has intertwined with other hate/extremist groups.

This book has some intense moments and suprising moments too.
It’s sad that we still live in a world so divided with so much unnecessary hate.

Thank you Joe Moore for helping to stand against these hate groups and also for writing your story to provide people like me a very eye opening informative
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper for this ARC

So apparently I rate everything five stars now, but I've just read some really amazing books lately. White Robes and Broken Badges is definitely one of those five-star reads because it is absolutely riveting. I was slightly leery when I first requested it from NetGalley because sometimes these types of memoirs can be a little dry, but this one is completely captivating. I finished it in two sittings and in under 36 hours, and it only took me that long because my body betrayed me on the first night and insisted on getting some sleep. (I could read so much more if I didn't need to sleep!)

This memoir focuses on Joe Moore's two successful attempts at infiltrating KKK groups in Florida. And, well, the man has balls of steel, I'll give him that. I would have been scared to death, and I'm also pretty sure that I don't have the poker face needed to carry out such a mission. I'd make it about five minutes before I rolled my eyes at an Exalted Cyclops (or whatever dumb title the KKK uses, I don't remember) and got “disappeared.” Moore was much more successful at his infiltration, however, and you'll definitely know how good he was at it because he tells you over and over and over. Which, I mean, fair enough … I guess if you risk your life (and the lives of your family) in order to take down some really bad guys, you've earned the right to be a little braggy.

But, seriously, this book is riveting but it's also very, very concerning. Moore goes into some depth regarding the history of the KKK and also how they (and other far-right extremist groups) are mobilizing in the present day. If he's correct – and I have no reason to doubt him – Americans everywhere should be extremely concerned about their ultimate goals, and we should vote like our democracy depends on it because it very well could. Moore talks about the January 6th insurrection and what led to it (and who encouraged it), and how, if the far-right extremists have their way, it won't be the last event of its kind.

Also, while it really has nothing to do with reviewing this book, can I say how disappointed I am that Obama's 2008 election (and his subsequent reelection in 2012) apparently led to a tremendous uptick in requests to join the KKK? (As did the 2014 killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.) I've always thought of the KKK as an organization that had its heyday way in the past, but it turns out that's not really the case at all. It's more than a little depressing.

My overall rating: 4.7 stars, rounded up. White Robes and Broken Badges is fantastic and you should probably read it ASAP.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review. Its expected publication date is August 13, 2024.