Under & Alone – William McQueen
Just finished this book so I thought I would provide a short review about it.
The true story is focused on one man (William McQueen) who is an ATF agent based in the USA. He tells his story of how he infiltrated one of the most violent Motorcycle Clubs. This club was The Mongols, who along with the Hells Angels are two of the most notorious clubs in the world. His story spans 2.5 years undercover, during which time he had several roles within the club.
It is a fascinating read to find out the nitty-gritty details of such an assignment and the difficulties he faced in playing out such a risky role. It is a brutal look at the goings on within such a club and how necessary it was that certain criminal activities did not go unpunished. It was sad to hear what effect this type of operation had on the life of the agent and how it affected both him and his family.
The other thing I took from this story was how the agent was treated both by his fellow officers and the motorcycle club. The agent got to a point where he could trust no one on either side. The individuals of the club very much respected the other club members, like it was an extended family situation. This however was not the case when the agent had to deal with fellow officers or related government agencies. It sounds like they just didn’t care about him or his personal life while undercover. The agent found developing friendships within the club difficult. He did this knowing that ultimately he might have to bring them to justice.
It is worth a read so I would recommend the book. It does raise questions about law enforcement agencies in the USA. Particularly around how they treat their own. Will they improve? Maybe we will find out in a few years when another book appears on a similar theme.