G-Man: J. Edgar Hoover’s Legacy

This is a masterful work of biography, political history, and human imperfection, packaged into a thoroughly researched and lengthy yet easy-to-read book. Organized in a linear fashion, the book spans four sections: Hoover’s youth, early years at the FBI, World War II and the Cold War, and finally the civil rights, Black power and anti-war protests of the 1960s and 1970s. Using her lens as a political historian, author Beverly Gage juxtaposes Hoover’s rise and dominance as FBI Director with three wars and numerous political movements that posed potential challenges to national security. One of the most interesting narrative themes that she develops is Hoover’s complicated relationships with the eight U.S. Presidents who served during his lengthy tenure. Gage deftly documents how Hoover curried favor and friendship from most of these presidents, often without regard to political party. Indeed, Hoover’s relationships with FDR and LBJ, both liberal Democratic presidents who didn’t always share Hoover’s political world-view, reveal much about how political power is acquired and to what ends it is used. Gage also does an excellent job balancing the good and bad parts of Hoover’s fifty+ year tenure as FBI Director. She certainly avoids the biographer’s trap of “falling in love” with her subject, exposing his many flaws, misjudgments, and actions that violated constitutional principles. But she also shows another, more positive, side of Hoover, the tireless civil servant who worked hard to “professionalize” the FBI and establish its non-partisan, independent culture. Gage’s “Epilogue” is a remarkably well-crafted conclusion to the story, where she steps out of the biographer role and provides a more personal and contemporary assessment of the legacy of one of 20th-century America’s most influential political figures.

This book is a groundbreaking, nuanced study of a complex and pivotal historical figure. I completely disagree that the book shows a biased perspective. On the contrary, Yale prof Beverly Gage is a top-notch historian and writer who approaches her subject with the right mix of empathy and critique. She assesses Hoover as both a man and as FBI director, showing the relationship between the two. Like the best historians, she uses Hoover’s life as a prism to understand much of 20th century American history. This is a hugely significant book, as seen by all the early rave reviews by critics. My review would never do justice to this 800+ page work of scholarship which clearly required tons of research. It’s best just to read it carefully and to respect the many things the author is managing to do with the life of one person. It really got me thinking!!

En genomgripande skildring av Herbert Hoovers liv ut alla aspekter. En biografi när den är som allra bäst. Utsedd till en av årets tio bästa böcker av Washington Post.

This is a good, well-researched book. The FBI was Hoover, and Hoover was the FBI. For many years, it was a highly respected law enforcement agency, not least because of Hoover’s PR efforts. But time passed Hoover by. The FBI fell into disreputable activities in the 1960s. Hoover wasn’t sympathetic to the civil rights and antiwar movements. If he had stepped down in 1960, he would be revered today. But he stayed into the 1970s, an out-of-touch, doddering old man.

The book provides a historical overview of the U.S. domestic history for the first half of the 20th century. However the author’s distain for Hoover comes through many times which causes me to question her objectivity.

It’s a good thing this dude is dead (Hoover and Trump would have loved each other). He was totally fixated on domestic Communists throughout his almost 6-decade career. He hated the Kennedys and really didn’t get too involved in criminal investigations until the tail end of Prohibition.

A well written biography and very comprehensive.