Freedom's Detective

“A riveting narrative history about early attempts to crack down and even stamp out the Ku Klux Klan’s reign of domestic terrorism . . . magnificent.” —Douglas Brinkley, New York Times–bestselling author of American Moonshot

In the years following the Civil War, a new battle began. Newly freed African American men had gained their voting rights and would soon have a chance to transform Southern politics. Former Confederates and other white supremacists mobilized to stop them. Thus, the KKK was born.

After the first political assassination carried out by the Klan, Washington power brokers looked for help in breaking the growing movement. They found it in Hiram C. Whitley. He became head of the Secret Service, which had previously focused on catching counterfeiters and was at the time the government’s only intelligence organization. Whitley and his agents led the covert war against the nascent KKK and were the first to use undercover work in mass crime—what we now call terrorism—investigations. Like many spymasters, Whitley also had a dark side. His penchant for skulduggery and dirty tricks ultimately led to his involvement in a conspiracy that would end his career and transform the Secret Service.

Populated by intriguing historical characters—from President Grant to brave Southerners, both black and white, who stood up to the Klan—Freedom’s Detective reveals the untold story of this complex, controversial hero and his central role in a long-lost chapter of American history.

“A powerful, vitally important story . . . Lane brings it to life with not only vast amounts of research but with a remarkable gift for storytelling . . . the pages fly by.” —Candice Millard, New York Times–bestselling author of The River of Doubt

“Lane’s account of Whitley’s infiltration of the Klan is endlessly gripping.” —NPR

“American history buffs won’t want to miss this one.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)