Puppetmaster: The Secret Life of J. Edgar Hoover

by Richard Hack

J. Edgar Hoover, the most powerful lawman in America for over fifty years, was also the country's most controversial and feared public servant. His career as director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation spanned nine different presidential administrations and survived a dozen attempts to sweep him from office. During that time, Hoover completely reshaped domestic law enforcement as he expended the reach of the FBI and transformed his G-men into an elite national crime fighting division. Despite his contributions to the criminal justice system, Hoover fell from favor soon after his death, the victim of rampant rumors and innuendo.

In Puppetmaster, author Richard Hack separates truth from fiction to reveal the most hidden secrets of Hoover's private life and exposes previously undisclosed conduct that threatened to compromise the security of the entire nation. Based on Truman Capote’s uncovered files (who, once diverted, offered them to Hack) and other personal documents together with well over 100,000 pages of FBI memos and State Department papers, Hack rips the lid off the director's facade of propriety to detail a life replete with sexual indiscretions, criminal behavior and a long-standing alliance with the Mafia.

Genres: Biography, History, Nonfiction, Politics, Audiobook, Espionage, American History

448 pages, Hardcover

First published February 13, 2004

About the author

Born in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, Hack attended the Lynnewood School, and Haverford High School, on the Main Line in suburban Philadelphia. He later attended Pennsylvania State University and holds a Master’s Degree in Environmental Design.

Hack moved to Los Angeles where he was hired by TV Guide magazine as its West Coast national programming editor. By the early 80s, Hack began writing the TeleVisions column for the daily entertainment trade paper, The Hollywood Reporter. During the next decade, Hack was instrumental in propelling the paper into a dominant position over rival Variety, and often appeared on The Tonight Show and Today reporting on Hollywood.

During the same period, he was a frequent guest on Oprah Winfrey, Good Morning America, Larry King Live, Charlie Rose, Tomorrow, Entertainment Tonight, and Access Hollywood.

In 1990, Hack left The Hollywood Reporter to become Vice President of Creative Affairs at Dove Audio and Entertainment, a production company that specialized in miniseries and books-on-tape. While at Dove, Hack adapted Sidney Sheldon’s The Sands of Time, Memories of Midnight, and The Stars Shine Down as mini-series, which he also produced, and wrote his first book, Next to Hughes with Robert Maheu.[2]

Since leaving Dove, Hack moved to a horse ranch in Maui, where he stabled polo ponies, and established a home on the Intracoastal in Florida.

His bestseller Hughes: The Private Diaries, Memos and Letters was released on September 11, 2001. Hack was being interviewed live on the Today show by Matt Lauer when the first plane crashed into the World Trade Center.

His subsequent book, PuppetMaster: The Secret Life of J. Edgar Hoover was the basis of the 2011 film "J Edgar," directed by Clint Eastwood.

Reviews

[Mara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lana: OK fine, I can’t prove anything right now.
Malory: The didn’t stop J. Edna Hoover from persecuting Martin Luther King, now did it?
Lana: Wait, what does that have to do.. Wait.. J. Edna?
Malory: You never heard that? How Hoover was a huge cross-dressing chicken hawk?
Lana: I had not.

Well, Wild Bill Donovan sure knew how to pick 'em because Malory Archer was pretty dead on when it came to J. Edgar Hoover. Ok, so maybe he wasn't a cross-dressing chicken hawk, but he was a grade-A jerk obsessed with muckraking and poking into the goings-ons of anyone who pinged his radar as being 'subversive' (a term which he used pretty liberally).

Hoover's sexuality normally wouldn't be a point of interest for me - live and let live and whatnot. However, his preoccupation with the bedroom activities of others kind of puts a spotlight on his hetero-normative standards. For example, he kept compulsively close tabs on the communiqués between Eleanor Roosevelt and one of her female friends, accusing her of keeping the company of "communists, homosexuals and other Bohemian filth." And, yes, his relationship with Clyde Tolson was pretty chummy. However, the author seems to agree with Roy Cohn's assessment that Hoover was too scared to ever really confront his own sexuality. The accusations that some of the 'pornographic smut' collected to get into the heads of deviants out there may have ended up in Hoover's home collection come across as being pretty legit.

This book is a short, whirlwind look at Hoover's life and career. It portrays an insecure man more focused on how he and his G-men were portrayed to the public than he was on their actual successes in the field. In the end, with historical hindsight, J. Edgar's "secret life" seems sad and pathetic.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fascinating read that I would recommend simply because of the history that it covers. It also provides and interesting insight into not only J. Edgar Hoover -- but eight presidencies, the rise and lasting impact of the Cold War, World War II, Vietnam and the volatile history of the FBI. This is a book I picked up mainly because of the publicity and press the FBI has received in the wake of James Comey's firing. I wanted to get an idea of the origin of the organization and how it came into being. And saying that it started with J. Edgar Hoover is like saying that ice is cold. It is a given -- and yet reading the whole story is like taking a trip down the rabbit hole.

This book presents the picture of a man that had some real issues. He was the definition of paranoia, and focused on gossip and rumors more than law enforcement. Reading this book I came away feeling like he only dabbled in law enforcement when he had to dirty his hands -- as a way of insuring he could keep his job. But his primary focus was always political -- and it always revolved around the information he maintained on those in power as a way of wielding power over the powerful.

The history the book covers is also a fascinating look into a very troubled time -- particularly for those who don't know what it was like to grow up in the cold war. Hoover helped to define the cold war on the home front as his brand of paranoia eventually came to mark and entire generation. It also shaped eight presidential administrations in ways that continue to have lasting effects. And even through all this reading I couldn't help but wonder how effective Hoover would have been as the head of the premier law enforcement agency in the age of terrorism, gang violence and serial killers.

While the writing wasn't always the best -- and the editing at times could have been better, this book is an engrossing read. It opens the door into the world of federal law enforcement and allows the reader to gain an appreciation for how the FBI became the organization it is today. Hack certainly does have some bias in regards to Hoover. And at time that bias does show through -- particularly in his need to try to defend Hoover in relation to the myriad rumors that seem to swirl around the man. But those biases are not over bearing and don't detract from the book as he uses historical records to prove the points he is trying to make. In the end, I came away feeling that we would never really know the man that defined the FBI -- but this book is a good starting point for gaining some greater understanding.

[Prima Seadiva · Rating 2 out of 5]

Audiobook, reader okay.
Although it was fairly interesting, this book didn't really reveal much in the way of secrets for me. I was thinking I'd learn more about things Hoover initiated or did that had not come to light. The disdain of the author was evident.
What a sad life Hoover led and even more sad was how that influenced so many political persecutions and decisions.

[Mike Lisanke · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't like this book as it tends to portray the infamous J Edgar Hoover in a heroic light as a patriot in at least his own and the author's mind for always doing what Hoover thought was Right. But we all know the ends (no matter if they are correctly noble) Do Not Justify the Means. And we should have read much more about the means methods and motives of the sneaky bastard they called J Edgar. Still the book spoils the reader with a good mix of stories suggesting the puppetmaster's dark side. And this is a long book with far too many story details where it doesn't count. For me, I care much less about Hoover's perverted sex life and much more about the political pressure he welded for his purpose of taking control of Our Republic from its Elected Leaders (good or bad). The snake was Never Elected and yet controlled Much of Our Deep State. If Hoover didn't exist, it's possible we'd have many less ways from Sunday for our Deep State to run our elected leaders.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent biography! It covered the development of the FBI and provided a balanced perspective of Hoover, separating rumour from fact. I found the writing style to be fresh and engaging and the descriptions of Hoover to be detailed and descriptive — often ironic and sadly comic. I feel as if I came away with an honest portrait of Hoover and solid primer of how the FBI approached crime from the twenties to the early seventies.

[Nancy Oakes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would love to have rated this book higher, since J Edgar Hoover, past director of the FBI, is one of my favorite all time bad guys to read about. However, the author's writing reminded me of a graduate student putting together a thesis or paper -- either way too much detail about meaningless stuff (like the contents of various meals, including his last, or what he wore, or description of the day -- e.g. "the snow was coming down in flakes as big as blueberries" etc etc etc) and not enough depth into what I would consider the meat of the story. Every time Hack would get going on the FBI's involvement into this or that (and his wording would promise that you were really going to find out something incredible), he seemed to stray toward another tangent and I would be left wondering where the promised juicy tidbit went.

But aside from those problems, the book was interesting, and I learned a lot of good ole J.Edgar that I had not known before.

brief synopsis
Puppetmaster examines both career and personal life (and rumors involving his personal life) of J. Edgar Hoover. By the time Hoover died, he was 77, and had been in office over 50 years and had served something like 8 presidents. While Hoover felt that he was doing his best to eradicate such evils as Communism and insurgency within the borders of the US, he was a man whose personal beliefs were rigid and did not evolve with the changing needs of the country. He was overly impressed with himself; no one could cross Hoover without finding the contents of his or her secret file being released to the public in some form or other. He built his reputation by conducting illegal activities and gathering intelligence on anyone he considered to be even remotely a threat either to the US or to the FBI (as in reputation), and authorized the use of "black bag jobs" such as illegal eavesdropping to build up his files. The man was a one man power base and had everyone afraid of him. He was often identified as the head of the American "gestapo" or "nkvd" and this description wasn't too far off the mark.

Hoover is a fascinating study. I do recommend this book with the caveat that it is told simplistically so if you are looking for something rather more in depth, you won't like it.

[Darlene · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was recommended to me by my son and he assured me that it did not read like a tabloid story. I can't say that I learned a whole lot that I hadn't already known from other sources over the years . This book portrays J. Edgar Hoover as a power hungry, corrupt, manipulative man whose views were very rigid.. most likely too rigid for changing times. His tenure as FBI director endured for the terms of 9 presidents and perhaps therein lies the problem. Hack (the author) did try to balance the negatives of Hoover's tenure with the positive things he managed to accomplish; however, I was not convinced. Yes, he did turn the FBI into a well-disciplined law enforcement 'machine' but when you stack this up against all of the ways he, himself, broke the law(wiretapping, blackmailing, 'black bag jobs' and dipping into funds set aside for informant payments for his own personal use), I'm not sure things even come close to evening out.

Hack attempts to explain that in Hoover's mind, he was protecting the country from infiltration by communists and the proliferation of organized crime. . He suggested that the depths of Hoover's beliefs and his patriotism to his country , justified the actions he pursued to make sure the country was safe. However, I'm not a big believer in 'the ends justify the means' way of thinking. I believe that Hoover's actions seemed to make the country very UNSAFE at times and certainly his actions, which have come to light over the years, have degraded the reputation of the FBI. I believe in Hoover's case,the quote 'absolute power corrupts absolutely' is appropriate.

[Lucas · Rating 3 out of 5]

The creation of the FBI and the development of federal law enforcement is an interesting story. Laws weren't structured well to handle criminals with a new ability to use automobiles to rapidly cross jurisdictional lines, they had to be created from scratch.

Some parts of the book deal with gossip and rumor without clearly stating with what the gossip was, assuming the reader is familiar for example with Washington politics in the 1930s. Later in the book the author does a better job of explaining that for instance all 'Hoover was a cross-dresser' rumors can be traced to a single source (and that one in particular has no other evidence, just the one source).

But there is plenty of well-documented dirt on Hoover. The author points these out in detail but suspends judgement, maybe suggesting that the corruption Hoover rid from the federal law enforcement establishment earlier in his career was not entirely superseded by his own (which seemed to increase as his time in office accumulated, or just became better documented). If a president had replaced Hoover much earlier on we'd all probably think a lot more of him.

One annoyance is that can be attributed to dramatic license is that thoughts and actions are attributed to characters that couldn't possibly have been documented. It's harmless but it undermines the integrity of the book.

[Marc94 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went in not really knowing that much about J. Edgar Hoover, so I thought this book presented his life very well. I read it in three days- which was quick as I tend to take longer to read biographies. There were a few facts that I didn't know if they were inaccurate or not, like the account of the 14 year old boy that was killed in 1955. I read in another book that he was killed for whistling at a white woman and not talking to her.

I guess my opinion of Hoover is that he meant well in his original doctrine of defending the country, something he lost sight of because he ultimately got too consumed by power and was mostly a hypocrite at times (the whole 'obscene' files he had) and went overboard a lot and was too quick to judge. He became arrogant. He thought he was always right and anyone that slighted him in the least 'got a file'. He also became outdated with the times. He got away with a lot of deceit and even used the FBI's money for his own self. He advocated following the law, yet he was breaking laws himself. Hypocrite. Hoover wasn't truly an evil man, there have been way worse individuals in this world, but he certainly wasn't a saint. I don't think I'd want to have met him.

[Richard Baas · Rating 5 out of 5]

A complex story of an era gone by... I find it hard to judge J. Edgar Hoover too harshly because he was a man of his times and sometimes felt the ends justified the means. In the end he was infallible and human but I feel we cannot discount the impact he had in shaping the country good or bad. It's undeniable he was an ingrained part of our American Culture. I was happy that this book seemed to dispel all the nasty rumors of his personal life... It goes to show you can't go by stand up comedian's version of history.

[Rena Sherwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although the title gives the impression that this will be a scandalous biography this is anything but -- except if you count "breaking the law" as scandalous. This is still a fascinating look at J. Edgar's life and times. So, he didn't wear dresses in private but he did like reading about the sexual peccadillos of just about every single American alive at the time.

This is one of those books where I think to myself, "I'll just read a few more pages" and suddenly two hours slip by. This book helped me forget my problems for a while -- by focusing on the much larger problems of those who crossed Hoover. You could even wind up dead -- or worse. And yes, there is worse than dead. Just ask actress Jean Seburg. Well, actually, you can't. She committed suicide because of what the FBI did to her, but I would not be surprised if the FBI had wiretaps to the afterlife.



I rarely think of Richard Nixon getting anything right, but he came out with the perfect description of J. Edgar Hoover: Cocksucker. Not literally, of course (wink, wink; nudge, nudge), but metaphorically.



The fun part is I learned the FBI was eavesdropping on thousands of innocent Americans since, well, practically since the technology to do so was invented. And they've done it again and again since Hoover died. They're probably doing it now. Heck, they're probably eavesdropping on me. I have this habit of talking to myself ('cause nobody else listens to me) and have done so since I was a child. I figure that all of the years of free entertainment I've given to the FBI should mean that I never have to pay taxes again. It's only fair.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

PUPPETMASTER The Secret Life of J Edgar Hoover is a well done book that incorporates a sense of history with very few anchor dragging moments. It presents the FBI director of most of the 20th century as both a hero of truth and Justice and a fraudulent scoundrel. He was both. There are so many instances in this book that relate to politics now because he set a precedent for government leaders to get things done by ruse and without check and balance and by creating media delusion. Hoover was a champion at all of that and it is no wonder government representatives now take for granted acts of genocide on the poor and the dismantling of humane progress.
How do we know this is true? Like the classic criminal he was supposed to be eradicating, Hoover's falsifying personae has now been revealed because he could not resist transcribing records of it, indirectly and I'm sure subconsciously, if not openly "bragging" about it he left those records, like a common serial killer. His unbridled control of the FBI allowed him private oligarchy and the ability to extend boundaries of his power at will. His narciscism is very clear in the efforts he made to hide his crimes, both petty and major. There are undoubtedly some we may never know about but it all makes for fascinating reading.

[Richard Santos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Puppetmaster: The Secret Life of J. Edgar Hoover explores the life and legacy of one of America’s most powerful and controversial figures. Hoover, who began his career with the Department of Justice in 1917 and served as FBI director for nearly five decades, shaped not only the Bureau but also key moments in American history. The book delves into Hoover’s influence under 8 presidents and 18 attorneys general, offering a fascinating look at both the man and the pivotal events of his era.

The book balances Hoover’s image as a hero with his darker side, revealing a man driven by his vision of America’s ideals, often prioritizing them over personal opinions. It portrays him as both a dedicated lawman and a manipulative figure whose methods and motives were often questionable. Well-written and thoroughly supported by primary sources, the book provides a compelling and nuanced portrait of Hoover. It’s an excellent read for anyone interested in American history or the complexities of power.

[Lorenc]

The author manages to avoid both common errors of biographies:
1) He does not grow too fond of his subject.
2) He does not get blinded by the subject's flaws and failures.
The result is a very informative biography, well researched and clearly presented.

I listened to the audio book published by Phoenix books in 2007. The narrator, Dan Cashman, is really good, and conveys nuance very well, making for an even more enjoyable experience.

P.S. I really should be adding that edition here instead of reviewing a different audiobook, but right now I do not feel like taking the test for becoming a goodreads librarian again. The edition I listened to is on Amazon, so goodreads should improve data exchange with its parent company and have it added automatically.

[Drew · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is the first audiobook I have listened to. I listened to it on a 12 hour drive from SW Indiana to Tampa, Florida. The only reason I give it 3 stars is because the narrator of the audiobook version was phenomenal.

This book is really for someone who has never read about J. Edgar Hoover. I found nothing new in this book that I did not already know. I personally had a great deal of trouble with how the author dealt with Hoover's alleged homosexuality.

[M.E. Syler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This biography covers Hoover from birth to death with everything in between. Reading about his youth gives the reader an understanding how Hoover manipulated so many people and events. The book is a good primer for looking at the FBI today as one can see Hoover’s influences are still around. This the best book I’ve read on the FBI and it’s first director.

[Scott Holstad · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book isn't bad as far as bios go, but Hoover is an interesting character, very complex and mysterious, and frankly I've read a better bio on the subject, so if you're interested in learning about Hoover, this book is fine. It's just not the best I've read...

[Lydia M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay SO this book was fascinating. But I wish I had read the physical copy of the book so I could check the references and footnotes.

This man was an absolute mess. He was not a good person, and this book only confirmed it. Interesting book, but the audiobook was rough to get through.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

pretty incredible that a man could have this much power and influence in our country. I found it an incredible and interesting read.

[Brian Yurochko · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read, but a little heavy on investigating Hoover's sexuality... and, like all other sources, there is no answer. Time could been better spent on more interesting areas of Hoover's life.

[Pamela Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting. I had to keep reminding myself it was the "secret" life because I wanted a little of what wasn't secret. Basically it covered events I'd heard of but in a very straight forward way.

[Mark Nenadov · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is defintely some truth here, but it is a little too "tabloidish" for my liking.

[Rob Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one was hard to put down. Detailed account of the Hoover FBI. This one is well worth reading.

[Mary Ronan Drew · Rating 4 out of 5]

For some reason I have never been interested in J Edgar Hoover despite years of sometimes shocking, sometimes hilarious would-be exposes of the man and the organization he created, the FBI. Recently, reading a book about the Kennedy administration and the feud between Bobby Kennedy and Hoover, I realized it was time to find out more about America's No 1 G-Man.

The best known book about Hoover seems to be Official and Confidential by Anthony Summers, which seems to be a bit sensationalized. So I chose to read Richard Hack's Puppetmaster. And it was a good choice. Hack manages somehow to maintain an unbiased view of a man whom it is easy to criticize but who did create today's invaluable FBI with its fingerprint files and forensic laboratories.

Hack also keeps the book lean. There is no chapter that wanders, no redundancy, nothing extraneous. The prose is terse and to the point. The picture of Hoover that emerges is of a man dedicated to his country and to his agency but who went too far and spoiled in his later years the work he did early on when he took an agency that was known for rampant corruption (these were the days of Teapot Dome), cleaned it up, raised its visibility, and made it work. His standards were exceedingly high and he expected total devotion from the men (and for many years it was only men and white men at that) who represented America's Federal Bureau of Investigation.

And the rumors about Hoover's homosexuality and his relationship to his close friend, Clyde Tolson? Just that, says Hack. There is no evidence that Hoover was ever in a relationship with a man. As for his relationship with Dorothy Lamour, that's a different story.

Hack has written fine biographies of Howard Hughes and Agatha Christie and a joint biography of Richard Murdock and Ted Turner. He is the man who grew the Hollywood Reporter into a worthy competitor of Variety. His work is highly regarded by the reviewing media. And by me.

To read other reviews on my blog go to: http://maryslibrary.typepad.com/my_we...

[Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

As with his biographies of Howard Hughes (Hughes) and Ted Turner/Rupert Murdock (Clash of the Titans), Richard Hack brings a novelist’s flair for drama and a journalist’s nose for truth to the life of J. Edgar Hoover. Hoover was the Director of the FBI for more than fifty years; he served nine different Presidents and sixteen Attorney Generals. The book is well-written and meticulously researched even thorough it does not reveal any new findings. The author attempts to keep this a balanced and impartial look at the facts. He covers Hoover’s life from childhood and his relationship with his mother to establishing the FBI to his death.

Hack’s most controversial conclusion about Hoover’s private life is that despite his weird intimacy with sidekick Clyde Tolson, and his household collection of male nudes and Chinese Ceramics, Hoover was not gay. I think you need to read the book and evaluate the facts, as the author presents them and make up your own mind on how to interpret the stated facts. The author goes into detail how Hoover set up the organization of the FBI but does not go into deal of its operation. Hack includes the headline-grabbing pursuit of Depression-era outlaws to his post-war crusade against left wing subversion. The author says little about the FBI as an institution or its crime fight methods. Over all he portrays Hoover as an intelligent, highly organized, determined , energetic, lonely and insecure man who comes off here as much as a puppet as master. Hack reveals Hoover as a consummate bureaucratic infighter aware of his vulnerabilities to shifts in political power.

The book was originally published in 2004 and republished again in 2007. The audio book was re-mastered into digital format. I read this as an audio book downloaded from Audible. Dan Cashman did a good job narrating the book.

[Nathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

J. Edgar Hoover literally invented the F.B.I., and his name has become synonymous with law enforcement, if not also cross-dressing. Richard Hack has an unfortunate last name, all things considered, and the two books of his that I have read do have an air of tabloidism about them. The truth is, though, Puppetmaster, like Hack's Hughes, is almost entirely based on letters, memos and personal items left behind by the respective topics, and Hack and Hoover go together. The element of tabloidism is almost exclusively down to the fact that, in this case, J. Edgar Hoover was a complete and total nut. If there's one thing that makes a fascinating story, it's power. If there's another, it's nuttiness. Put the two together, and there's not much that can go wrong. Enter J. Edgar Hoover. Arguably one of the most important men in 20th Century American History, he shaped the F.B.I. and led that organization through administration after administration and generation after generation. For decades, they weren't called "agents", they were "Hoover's Boys". From the atom bomb to McCarthyism to Vietnam, he was the head of the FBI. He blackmailed Martin Luther King, Jr. and he busted up the KKK. Or rather, he tried to take credit for both. A strange, fascinating, influential and morally ambiguous monster who caught monsters, J. Edgar Hoover is a fascinating figure, and there's no way to write about him without an element of tabloidism. His influence, for better and worse, is undeniable. It's good to know where the F.B.I. came from (Rigel 7).

NC

[Dave Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

How on earth do people like this end up with so much power? Interesting and depressing at the same time, this bio of J. Edgar Hoover paints a picture of a paranoid little toad who rose to power partly because he was ruthless, and partly because he had no friends to drag him out of the office.

A lot of this rehashes anecdotes we've all heard over the years, but there are also some stories I've never heard before that are really, really sad, like the way he would zero in on someone he suspected of being a criminal, or an agitator, or even a critic, finding out that you were innocent never stopped him. Maintaining his reputation for never admitting he was wrong was far more important than NOT ruining someone's life.

I like to think these days are in America's past. But I know I'm wrong.

[Tommy Baker · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very entertaining read, and one that convincingly puts a lot of rumors regarding Hoover's personal life to rest. One thing he doesn't do is bring Clyde Tolson or Helen Gandy to life or why they became his loyal partners in crime for decades. Hoover's brief nemesis Harry Truman is more of a clear character than they are. The later dealings with organized crime is also flat, with tons of Italian names with colorful aliases thrown at you without any real insight as what was going on. I'm guessing Hack was not really interested in this period. He makes up for it with a lot of goofy scene setting though; my favorite quote being "For a full ten minutes he did not move. When he did, it was only to stand naked at the bathroom window, his fleshy body chubby as that of a bar mitzvah boy." This is describing Hoover's private actions after the death of his mother.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is unbelievable how much this man broke the law as the main lawman in America. He served under 8 President's and they knew of his behavior and allowed it. He had files on almost anyone of power, wealth and fame. He wiretapped the phones of Congress, Martin Luther King, movie stars and his friends. He accepted gifts for airplane rides, resorts, free vacations, free toys, etc. The FBI under Hoover was as close to The Gestapo as it could be and America loved him at the time. He trampled the rights and civil liberties of so many American's. I think the worst scenario reported in this book was convicting 4 people for murder who he knew was innocent. It appears he lied to the Warren Commission. There is no telling exactly what all we don't know about ths famous American.

[Janice · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Prologue and the Epilogue provide a good summary of the book. Between these bookends, should you desire more, each chapter layers detail after referenced and fabricated detail of this odious, paranoid little man. How this watch dog of American democracy and security gained favor and controlled Washington politicans for nearly sixty years is hard to comprehend, especially after reading of his heinous acts. The positive, unprecedented criminal investigative and laboratory proceedures Hoover contributed were mentioned only in passing. So, if you are looking for a criminal science resource on the FBI, you'd best look elsewhere. This book is dedicated to disclosing the diabolical J. Edgar Hoover.