J. Edgar Hoover: The Man and the Secrets

The regrettable thing about this book is that it is convincing. This is a detailed and annotated look at Hoover and the FBI during the Hoover years, and the picture that it paints is not a pretty one. It is, however, a convincing one. For many decades J. Edgar Hoover exercised complete control over the FBI. There was virtually no effective Congressional oversight over Hoover, the FBI, or their activities. During these decades Hoover worked tirelessly and effectively to expand and enlarge the size and power of the FBI. This occurred such that the FBI came to exercise an unwholesome and yes, disturbing degree of power over American citizens. The FBI bugged and wiretapped with virtually no reference to the Constitution and targeted enemies not so much based upon national danger as upon Hoover's quirks and eccentricities. Thus, for decades the FBI was oblivious to what everyone else in America knew: that syndicated crime (the "Mafia") was a big and malevolent problem in American life. The FBI declined for a long time to protect civil rights workers and instead tacitly sided with KKK extremists. (Happily, both of these failures have been corrected, but no thanks to Hoover.) Because Hoover hated the CIA, the FBI broke off liaison with the CIA and other intelligence agencies thereby crippling America's ability to confront the Soviet KGB and other legitimate threats to national security. While insiders including some FBI agents noted that this was not a "rational" act, it happened and for a long time no one did anything about it. Such was Hoover's power to act arbitrarily with his potential critics cowed and fearful of his terrible ability to retaliate against real or perceived enemies. And no one in government was easier to make an enemy of than Hoover.Presidents feared Hoover and no Congressman or Senator cared or dared to take him on. There was no upside in it. Everyone knew that Hoover had compiled dossiers on tens of thousands of American citizens, especially its democratically elected officials. And the FBI was fantastically willing to leak embarrassing dirt on Hoover's enemies. Countless politicians who crossed Hoover, and many who did not, were destroyed by such FBI leaks. Many in the press acted in concert with Hoover and published these leaks in exchange for receiving such exclusives from the FBI. None of this was either Constitutional or good government. Presidents, attorney generals, and Congressmen and Senators came and went, but Hoover stayed in place, growing his power with each decade. This was not a good thing.This piece also details that Hoover himself was corrupt. Each year he took a three week "nonvacation" at public expense in Florida, living the high life with his "companion," Deputy FBI Director Clyde Tolson. FBI agents were employed to ghostwrite several books ostensibly written by Hoover from which he personally profited. No one dared look into any of this.This is a useful and important book because it illustrates the fact that the Government can and does ignore the Constitution in a big way when governmental processes go awry. In Hoover's FBI we had one man work his way into a position in which he was able to thwart the usual checks and balances in the American governmental system to the nation's infinite harm. There is much evidence that the FBI has reformed and is now more of a "normal" governmental agency. Many readers will never view the FBI in quite the same way after reading this piece. By the way, this is a very well-written piece that is very readable. Recommended. RJB.

This book is very well written and worth the time to read it. Helps understand the terrible lack of connection between Atty General, FBI, White House, CIA and the American people. Should we know of all the goings on? Man, it'll blow your mind to see how insecure and power hungry some of our leaders have been.

This is one of the most detailed, well-written, scholarly biographies that I have ever read. You really get a feel for Hoover's professional life and his role in American government. Frankly, each chapter of this book is an amazing accomplishment, exposing Hoover for what he was, and more importantly, what he wanted us to believe he was. The only fault that I can find with the book is that, once we get to the 1960s, the author's own political biases begin to color the narrative, but as long as you are aware of it, it doesn't detract from the quality of the book. For instance, the author is quick to counter incorrect or exagerated statements in the book, but when an enemy of Hoover is quoted as saying that he was a "new Beria" and that the FBI was like the old NKVD, the author lets it go at that. Even though, as the author shows us in amazing detail, the FBI commonly used illegal and sometimes oppressive tactics in its wars on crime, communism, radicalism, civil rights leaders, the KKK and the like, it never used the torture, murder, and gulag that the NKVD was justly famous for. To let such a comparison go without comment shows, I think, a bias on the part of author. A great book nontheless.

If you are looking for a history of the FBI this is not the book. If you are looking for an objective reading of Hoover this is not the book. That said, Hoover's example is not one we ever want to repeat. No federal agency of this importance should become the almost half century sinecure of a very biased and closed minded individual. I would like to have heard more about his achievements because if the FBI was not an impressive and effective organization I doubt even his secret files could have kept him around for so long. But his achievements in creating and continuing an incredibly strong and effective law enforcement agency do not excuse the violations of law and due process.The author is selective in his objection to Hoover-like tactics. OK when cited against Hoover but not OK when done by Hoover. Hoover was certainly an odd duck and may have been gay but I cannot imagine any modern author getting away with the kind of innuendo this author uses if they applied it to any modern left-leaning person. But against Hoover toss out the old fairy stories and play them up.But the book is well researched and well written and informative.

The man and the institution are laid bare in this most well written book. It is amazing what was accomplished over 50plus years. But at a terrible price. Countless lives were forever adversely affected by Hoover's direction, decisions, and leadership. His collection of information used to influence people at every strata in society, from presidents on down was despicable and led to unworthy power over these same people. This power obviously went to his head to a point where he seemed to feel that he was above the laws of the land, and virtually untouchable. As the story ends, it is revealed that the price to be paid for such indiscretions can, and often is extracted even after life ends!

I haven't read the book yet as I bought it as a gift. I was disappointed, however, that the print quality was poor, particularly in terms of photographs which are not glossy and difficult to clearly distinguish.

This book is quite a read, over 700 pages of print. It is not a political book, but necessarily mentions events and persons involved at the time. It is well researched and is written in such a way as to hold the reader's interest. At times I found it hard to put the book down! It's full of fascinating facts and as I was in my early twenties during the sixties, I remember many of the events and people referred to. For any reader it is a salutary warning of how one man can attain and keep so much power. Of how many innocent people's lives were ruined by the FBI under Hoover.The book is a very good read and well worth the time spent reading it. Thanks Curt.

Ich hatte in meinem Übersee-Weihnachtsurlaub glücklicherweise genügend Zeit, mir dieses Buch konzentriert zuzuführen. Als historisch schon immer sehr interessierter Leser (war schon in der Schule mein bestes Fach) war es faszinierend festzustellen, wie unfrei die Amerikaner für einen Großteil des 20. Jahrhunderts eigentlich waren. Gesinnungs-Schnüffelei war schon unmittelbar nach dem 1. Weltkrieg gang und gäbe und das legendäre "Kommittee für unamerikanische Aktivitäten" von McCarthy war keine Erfindung dieses Schmutzflecks der amerikanischen Geschichte, sondern bestand schon vor dem 2. Weltkrieg. Was das alles mit jener Person zu tun hat, die diese Biographie behandelt? FBI-Gründer J. Edgar Hoover hatte bereits mit Gesinnungs-Schnüffelei zu tun, als er noch längst nicht an der Spitze dieser Agentur stand, die urspünglich 1908 gegründet und erst 1935 den Namen FBI erhielt. Es ist faszinierend zu lesen, wie Hoover in seinen 47 Jahren als FBI-Direktor seine Position so ausbauen konnte, daß er zeitweise als "Staat im Staat" agieren konnte und fast jeden ihm Mißliebigen irgendwann zu eliminieren verstand - normalerweise nicht physisch, aber von Positionen mit Einfluß jedenfalls. Es ist aber auch bezeichnend, daß nach seinem Tode (im Amt) nach und nach heraus kam, wie korrupt der oberste Verbrecherjäger der USA im Laufe der Jahre geworden war. Was wieder einmal den alten Spruch unterstreicht: Macht korumpiert, totale Macht korumpiert total. Und J. Edgar Hoover hatte im FBI die totale Macht und auch serienweise US-Präsidenten in der Hand. Fazit: Ein überaus lesenswertes Buch, für das man aber auch Vorbildung in US-Geschichte mitbringen sollte. Für diese Originalfassung natürlich auch ausgezeichnete Englischkenntnisse.

Good value, great read. Bought after watching Leanardo do Caprio's film.