Biography

G-Man: J. Edgar Hoover and the Making of the American Century

G-Man: J. Edgar Hoover and the Making of the American Century

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  • Create Date：2023-01-23 08:51:47
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
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  • Author：Beverly Gage
  • ISBN：0670025372
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Summary

"A nuanced portrait in a league with the best of Ron Chernow and David McCullough"--The Wall Street Journal

"Masterful。。。This book is an enduring， formidable accomplishment， a monument to the power of biography [that] now becomes the definitive work"--The Washington Post

"Revelatory。。。an acknowledgment of the complexities that made Hoover who he was， while charging the turbulent currents that eventually swept him aside。"--The New York Times

"[A] crisply written， prodigiously researched， and frequently astonishing new biography"--The New Yorker

The New York Times "TOP 100 NOTABLE BOOKS OF 2022"

The Atlantic "Top 10 Books of the Year"

The Washington Post "Top Ten Books of 2022"

Publishers Weekly * "Top Ten Books of 2022"

Smithsonian Magazine "The Ten Best History Books of 2022"

A major new biography of J Edgar Hoover that draws from never-before-seen sources to create a groundbreaking portrait of a colossus who dominated half a century of American history and planted the seeds for much of today's conservative political landscape。

We remember him as a bulldog--squat frame， bulging wide-set eyes， fearsome jowls--but in 1924， when he became director of the FBI， he had been the trim， dazzling wunderkind of the administrative state， buzzing with energy and big ideas for reform。 He transformed a failing law-enforcement backwater， riddled with scandal， into a modern machine。 He believed in the power of the federal government to do great things for the nation and its citizens。 He also believed that certain people--many of them communists or racial minorities or both-- did not deserve to be included in that American project。 Hoover rose to power and then stayed there， decade after decade， using the tools of state to create a personal fiefdom unrivaled in U。S。 history。

Beverly Gage's monumental work explores the full sweep of Hoover's life and career， from his birth in 1895 to a modest Washington civil-service family through his death in 1972。 In her nuanced and definitive portrait， Gage shows how Hoover was more than a one-dimensional tyrant and schemer who strong-armed the rest of the country into submission。 As FBI director from 1924 through his death in 1972， he was a confidant， counselor， and adversary to eight U。S。 presidents， four Republicans and four Democrats。 Franklin Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson did the most to empower him， yet his closest friend among the eight was fellow anticommunist warrior Richard Nixon。 Hoover was not above blackmail and intimidation， but he also embodied conservative values ranging from anticommunism to white supremacy to a crusading and politicized interpretation of Christianity。 This garnered him the admiration of millions of Americans。 He stayed in office for so long because many people， from the highest reaches of government down to the grassroots， wanted him there and supported what he was doing， thus creating the template that the political right has followed to transform its party。

G-Man places Hoover back where he once stood in American political history--not at the fringes， but at the center--and uses his story to explain the trajectories of governance， policing， race， ideology， political culture， and federal power as they evolved over the course of the 20th century。

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Reviews

Amy ，

Comprehensive and not the slightest bit boring， this is a history book disguised as a biography。 The bulk of the book is centered around the cases， scandals， and investigations of the FBI under J。 Edgar Hoover's direction。 The 37 years he served at the helm of the FBI encompasses an extensive inventory of American history。 From Prohibition to Depression-era gangsters， WWII， the Red Scare， the Civil Rights movement， and beyond， this book captures an abundance of mid-20th century history。 The rese Comprehensive and not the slightest bit boring， this is a history book disguised as a biography。 The bulk of the book is centered around the cases， scandals， and investigations of the FBI under J。 Edgar Hoover's direction。 The 37 years he served at the helm of the FBI encompasses an extensive inventory of American history。 From Prohibition to Depression-era gangsters， WWII， the Red Scare， the Civil Rights movement， and beyond， this book captures an abundance of mid-20th century history。 The research is impeccable。 And it made such an intimidating book wonderfully organized and surprisingly easy to read。 This book isn't the least bit tedious。 It excels in depicting the years of J。 Edgar but it falters in telling the life of him。 For a 700-page book about Hoover， I found it barely scratched the surface of the man himself。 There is a good deal of background on his childhood and family but I found the biography to be a muted character study。 It is， however， a brilliant and articulate overview of the FBI under the supervision of America's most powerful non-elected government figure。 。。。more

jon blackwood ，

Excellent BiographyThe author has written the definitive biography of Hoover。 She shows that Hoover was a captive of his early years of childhood and young adulthood。 This period instilled in him the values and prejudices that focused his life。 All these prejudices included white supremacy， distrust of anarchy， communism and his own vanity。 His values were order， hierarchy， bureaucracy and church。 He never conquered his prejudices nor abandoned his values， even when the county moved into the mod Excellent BiographyThe author has written the definitive biography of Hoover。 She shows that Hoover was a captive of his early years of childhood and young adulthood。 This period instilled in him the values and prejudices that focused his life。 All these prejudices included white supremacy， distrust of anarchy， communism and his own vanity。 His values were order， hierarchy， bureaucracy and church。 He never conquered his prejudices nor abandoned his values， even when the county moved into the modern world。 The book portrays the worst of Hoover with his assault against civil liberties， causes that he feared and individuals that threatened his world views， including Martin Luther， Jr， Black Panthers and protest movements， as well as politicians and critics， especially journalists。 Yet， the book reveals Hoover's contributions in creating the FBI into the preeminent law enforcement agency worldwide。 The author presents compelling circumstantial evidence regarding his relationship with Clyde Tolson and his sexuality。 The reader can make that determination。 Hoover was a flawed individual whose flaws were shared and are shared by middle class white America。 。。。more

Eric ，

It is not difficult to picture the progress of the FBI's descent to political creature of the federal state when its making was largely influenced by this deeply flawed， while very capable， creature of the early to middle 20th century。 Gage managed， I think， to lay out a relatively fair picture without judgement along the way。 Perhaps that is how we arrived at this point - not judging a number of decisions of those given their power。 It is not difficult to picture the progress of the FBI's descent to political creature of the federal state when its making was largely influenced by this deeply flawed， while very capable， creature of the early to middle 20th century。 Gage managed， I think， to lay out a relatively fair picture without judgement along the way。 Perhaps that is how we arrived at this point - not judging a number of decisions of those given their power。 。。。more

John Wheeler ，

Comprehensive， concise exploration or everything JE Hoover was involved in such as the first red scare， anti-german sentiment during WWI， prohibition， John Dillinger， Nazis， Japanese internment， anti-communist McCarthyism and more。 Lengthy but organized into concise chapters that allows for skimming of particular topics of interest。 Well written and researched。

Maria ，

More than a biography of a legendary and controversial public figure， this is an immense history of the twentieth century， through eight presidents， Communist party and anarchy fighting， civil rights， crime fighting， states rights， intelligence， and the Federal Bureau of Investigation， Hoover's roost。 The author is a history professor and this doorstop of a book was over ten years in the making。 The resources and notes are impressive and her writing style engrossing and accessible。 Before I read More than a biography of a legendary and controversial public figure， this is an immense history of the twentieth century， through eight presidents， Communist party and anarchy fighting， civil rights， crime fighting， states rights， intelligence， and the Federal Bureau of Investigation， Hoover's roost。 The author is a history professor and this doorstop of a book was over ten years in the making。 The resources and notes are impressive and her writing style engrossing and accessible。 Before I read this， I knew nothing about J。 Edgar Hoover; Gage brings the man to life in all his faults and frailties。 Highly， highly recommended for all history lovers。 。。。more

Bill Lucey ，

I thoroughly enjoyed “G-Man: J。 Edgar Hoover and the Making of the American Century” by a wonderful Yale historian， Beverly Gage。It’s an enlightening examination of how power really worked in the United States for a good slice of the 20th century。 Brick by brick， over a span of 48 years， Hoover built the FBI into such a powerful behemoth， extending even into how Hollywood made movies （governed by the Hays code）， which never glamorized criminal activity， while portraying G-Men as these John Wayne I thoroughly enjoyed “G-Man: J。 Edgar Hoover and the Making of the American Century” by a wonderful Yale historian， Beverly Gage。It’s an enlightening examination of how power really worked in the United States for a good slice of the 20th century。 Brick by brick， over a span of 48 years， Hoover built the FBI into such a powerful behemoth， extending even into how Hollywood made movies （governed by the Hays code）， which never glamorized criminal activity， while portraying G-Men as these John Wayne type American heroes。What makes G-Men particularly gripping is how Gage brings to light several previously classified documents， which have recently become available to the public。 Since there hasn’t been a biography of Hoover for nearly 30 years， Gage reports on some of the more intrusive and unsavory aspects of Hoover’s espionage and wiretapping activities for the first time。-Bill Lucey 。。。more

Helen ，

This audiobook was 37 hours which was a bit off putting but turned out to be worthwhile。 Hoover was an extraordinary character and following his life/career offered a fascinating perspective on U。S。 history during those years。

Bonnie G。 ，

The damage one man can do is astounding。 It comes as no surprise to me that J。 Edgar Hoover was a terrible man。 I am fully aware that he was given unchecked power for half a century by presidents Republican and Democrat， and that he used that power to orchestrate the ruin and murder of people who were unacceptable to him， mostly Black and Jewish Americans。 I am reasonably well schooled in 20th-century US history， and no one， no one， is more central to 20th century US history than Hoover。 But the The damage one man can do is astounding。 It comes as no surprise to me that J。 Edgar Hoover was a terrible man。 I am fully aware that he was given unchecked power for half a century by presidents Republican and Democrat， and that he used that power to orchestrate the ruin and murder of people who were unacceptable to him， mostly Black and Jewish Americans。 I am reasonably well schooled in 20th-century US history， and no one， no one， is more central to 20th century US history than Hoover。 But there were many things about Hoover I did not know， things that surprised me （and not in a good way） and that filled in the gaps in my knowledge。 Gage writes like a prosecutor， a really good one， laying out her case and in the end it turns out most everything that is wrong with America today is connected to the beliefs and actions of J。 Edgar Hoover。 I don't mean to be hyperbolic， Hoover is by no means solely responsible for the devaluation of the lives of Black people， for the hubris of January 6th and Charlottesville idiots， for the back door dealing， for the villainization of anyone who seeks to be an honest broker， for wage compression， for absurd Congressional hearings about trumped up scare scenarios （HUAC， violent lyrics in rap/imagery in video games， the dangers of social media and tech in general） that absolutely do not matter but keep lazy people distracted while bad people fiddle about。 But all these things and more have some connecting thread to Hoover。 He nearly single handedly devised and maintained the Cold War。 He literally ordered agents to not intervene to stop lynchings， and refused to participate meaningfully in investigating murders by judges and sheriffs and other powerful men， allowing them to police themselves to avoid federal overreach（this is still the way many in Congress and on talk radio think things should be。） If fact， he chose to not tell the Dallas police about credible assassination threats made against John Kennedy because he did not want to "interfere" is local law enforcement。 He created the Red Scare and the Lavender Scare （this very very Gay man routed out and destroyed the careers and lives many many civil servants because they were Gay - unless they were his friends， in which case he covered for them）， dividing people and creating identity politics。 There is so much more。 He was depraved。It is easy to fall back on the excuse that as a Gay man the pressure to live a lie twisted him， but that is too simple。 For one， he did not really live a lie。 For 44 years he openly lived with his partner Clyde Tolson。 They were invited everywhere as a couple including to the White House wedding of one of LBJ's daughters。 There are letters between him and presidents （Johnson and Nixon） that speak of them as a couple。 When Hoover died， the soldiers folded the flag placed over his coffin and handed it to Tolson。 I mean I assume they did not hold hands or anything， but they were not in the shadows either。 Under his rule he was in fact the only Gay man （well， also a few friends） who got to live comfortably with his partner。 The truth is that he was a martinet and a despot。 He was a man whose belief in White supremacy was the most foundational most central belief he possessed。 Hoover belonged to a fraternity that had a pledge of a belief in White supremacy in its charter， required frat houses to hang a Confederate battle flag over their doors and held annual blackface parties。 It is from this fraternity that Hoover hired for the FBI almost exclusively， and the fraternity was a primary source for his social and business relationships all through his life。 Hoover was a bad man。 Yes， I imagine he had some feelings of self-loathing stemming from his homosexuality and the social condemnation of LTBTQ+ people in the time he lived， but that does not erase the fact that he was a dimensional bad man， that there were a lot of reasons for his villainy， and yet none of them justify a bit of it。 There is more， to learn， and you should。 One of the most illuminating bios I have ever read。 。。。more

Mary ，

G-Man is an outstanding， no-holds-barred biography of the complex and controversial man who reigned as head of the FBI for most of the 20th Century。 I highly recommend it！

Douglas H ，

The book does an excellent job describing Hoover's formative influences and his rise to power within the FBI。 But once Hoover has been ensconced as director， one's interest wanes。 Gage's prose is not enlivening， and her uncompromising "objectivity" begins to wear。 One wants more opinion， or at least more personality。 In short， finishing this very long book （732 pages） is a slog。 Check it out from the library， and don't feel guilty about reading only the first third。 The book does an excellent job describing Hoover's formative influences and his rise to power within the FBI。 But once Hoover has been ensconced as director， one's interest wanes。 Gage's prose is not enlivening， and her uncompromising "objectivity" begins to wear。 One wants more opinion， or at least more personality。 In short， finishing this very long book （732 pages） is a slog。 Check it out from the library， and don't feel guilty about reading only the first third。 。。。more

Jill ，

This book is long， but not super dense。 It was a really interesting read。 I didn't know much about J。 Edgar Hoover or the FBI and I felt like I got a good historic background of both。 It seemed very well researched and I felt like I learned a lot。 This book is long， but not super dense。 It was a really interesting read。 I didn't know much about J。 Edgar Hoover or the FBI and I felt like I got a good historic background of both。 It seemed very well researched and I felt like I learned a lot。 。。。more

Laura Tillem ，

Audible versionInteresting angle to tell the familiar American history。 White people though， whew。

Jerome ，

Very thorough and detailed， but author's political views showed at times Very thorough and detailed， but author's political views showed at times 。。。more

Ronnie ，

There was a reviewer who wrote that this book was densely written。 Its true。 To the point of being sleep inducing。 Yet。。。Yet。。。。after absorbing the density of the written material 。。。the rewards were simply too daunting to stop。 The nuggets of info present in this book are simply stunning。 The level of hypocrisy that governed Hoover are legend in scope ， length and level of causation of hurt as a result of his directing the FBI。In the end。。。。His despicalbility 。 bathes every move ever orchestrat There was a reviewer who wrote that this book was densely written。 Its true。 To the point of being sleep inducing。 Yet。。。Yet。。。。after absorbing the density of the written material 。。。the rewards were simply too daunting to stop。 The nuggets of info present in this book are simply stunning。 The level of hypocrisy that governed Hoover are legend in scope ， length and level of causation of hurt as a result of his directing the FBI。In the end。。。。His despicalbility 。 bathes every move ever orchestrated by him。It is a haunting tale that is reverberating。 。。。more

Dennis Hogan ，

Finished G-Man: J。 Edgar Hoover and the Making of the American Century by Beverly Gage， Yale Professor of 20th Century History and author of The Day Wall Street Exploded （2008）。 The value of this book is as much the context of key events in National Politics & History as the story of the FBI and its founder J Edgar Hoover。 This book is a warts and all account of Hoover and the FBI and make no mistake it was not all negative even though the negative is truly awful。 Hoover was a native son of Wash Finished G-Man: J。 Edgar Hoover and the Making of the American Century by Beverly Gage， Yale Professor of 20th Century History and author of The Day Wall Street Exploded （2008）。 The value of this book is as much the context of key events in National Politics & History as the story of the FBI and its founder J Edgar Hoover。 This book is a warts and all account of Hoover and the FBI and make no mistake it was not all negative even though the negative is truly awful。 Hoover was a native son of Washington DC and heavily influenced by his college fraternity Kappa Alpha， believers in the Lost Cause of the Confederacy。 He led a tortured personal life and in his professional life reflected the interests and direction of most of the eight presidents he served。 He was a great friend and a fearsome enemy。 This is a very even handed book， and a great one。 。。。more

Elaine Watson ，

This is an excellent， well-researched， and well-written book that anyone interested in American politics， government， and history should read whether you admired Hoover or despised him。 The writer placed so many disparate events I knew about in an understandable chronology and context that it made sense of many other historical accounts I had read。 I know how difficult it must have been to choose which stories to highlight as so many events either have been or could be written as standalone book This is an excellent， well-researched， and well-written book that anyone interested in American politics， government， and history should read whether you admired Hoover or despised him。 The writer placed so many disparate events I knew about in an understandable chronology and context that it made sense of many other historical accounts I had read。 I know how difficult it must have been to choose which stories to highlight as so many events either have been or could be written as standalone books， but she chose wisely。 。。。more

Armand ，

Contrary to all my instincts and experience i really liked this very long book。 Gage managed to hold my interest - or maybe it was just an extremely interesting subject。 To anyone interested in American history this book is a must。 I was reminder of many long-forgotten things and learned much new stuff。 All delivered in an even handed and interesting way。 I wonder how Hoover and Trump would have interacted？

Toni ，

A very informative and long audible on the biography of Hoover。 I learned many things our government did that would surprise most people。 。 Many scary things the FBI has done and probably continues to do。

Marshall Snyder ，

A great biography of an important figure in American history - but not a great man！ Hoover built the FBI， but also allowed some of his character flaws to become part of the FBI’s culture。 His anti-communism crusade went too far and his campaign against Martin Luther King was reprehensible。 Although the author dug deep into Hoover psyche， she still couldn’t conclude whether he was gay or not。

Ian ，

An enlightening read about a despicable individual。 Hoover， was a racist， a bigot， opposed civil rights， and violated the laws and decency of his country。 He spied on civil rights groups， attacked unions， and turned the FBI into his own， private spying agency， effectively， ignoring his political masters， when he wished to。The biography， it self is well written， well researched， and an enjoyable read。 Recommended。

Michael ，

A bit haigiographic but generally very good， thorough and interesting biography of a man who’s name mostly rhymes with government overreach。 Would have been good to spend a bit more time on the mob。 But other than that does a great job of highlighting the various influences and outcomes driven by this singular public servant。 Similar in many ways （though dramatically smaller in scope） to Caro’s biography of Moses。 Can’t wait for Caro to tackle Hoover in the next LBJ book if we ever get it

Milton Carter ，

THE real J。 EDGAR HOOVER the man and his CRIMES！This is the best political bio I've ever read。 It captures the life and times of Hoover in such a clear and concise manner that I feel like I know him now 。 Being a Black man born in 1940， I came of age during the 1960's and 70's when Hoover's （Co- intel- program） was a fact of my and my friends life。 I found this presentation so very interesting that I could hardly put the book down until I finished it。 Thank You ！！！ THE real J。 EDGAR HOOVER the man and his CRIMES！This is the best political bio I've ever read。 It captures the life and times of Hoover in such a clear and concise manner that I feel like I know him now 。 Being a Black man born in 1940， I came of age during the 1960's and 70's when Hoover's （Co- intel- program） was a fact of my and my friends life。 I found this presentation so very interesting that I could hardly put the book down until I finished it。 Thank You ！！！ 。。。more

Steve ，

https://wp。me/p4dW55-1fXJ。 Edgar Hoover （1895-1972） is an intriguing biographical subject; he spent 48 years as Director of the FBI and was arguably the most powerful un-elected public official in the country at the time。 But any survey of his career also provides unique insight into the lives of the public figures who operated within his sphere。 And during his nearly half-century at the FBI he worked with every president from Calvin Coolidge to Richard Nixon。One might assume that Hoover’s life https://wp。me/p4dW55-1fXJ。 Edgar Hoover （1895-1972） is an intriguing biographical subject; he spent 48 years as Director of the FBI and was arguably the most powerful un-elected public official in the country at the time。 But any survey of his career also provides unique insight into the lives of the public figures who operated within his sphere。 And during his nearly half-century at the FBI he worked with every president from Calvin Coolidge to Richard Nixon。One might assume that Hoover’s life has been fully dissected by previous biographers。 But a steady stream of new information has become available since the last major Hoover biography was published almost thirty years ago。 And in her deeply-researched book Gage relies on recently declassified items and information uncovered through countless FOIA requests to add important texture and nuance to Hoover’s complicated portrait。Many readers will find this biography’s 732-page narrative dense and detailed – and quite possibly intimidating。 Gage embeds significant political and social context into the book， providing a deep sense of the world Hoover operated in and responded to。 But it may leave some readers feeling as though too much effort is required to make headway at times。Perseverance is well-rewarded， however， as readers are able to witness many of America’s most notable domestic moments as observed by Hoover。 These include the Joseph McCarthy / Red Scare era， the assassinations of JFK， Malcolm X， MLK and Bobby Kennedy， the Rosenberg spy case and Bloody Sunday in Selma， Alabama。Gage covers Hoover in a surprisingly balanced manner， consistently exposing his flaws and shortcomings while attempting to offset the worst of his tendencies by identifying commendable underlying traits or， occasionally， providing contextual justifications。 But while she does not consider herself an admirer of Hoover， in the end she seems to view him more as a well-intentioned fallen angel than as a thin-skinned， racist， power-hungry rapscallion。One of the best aspects of this biography is the insight it provides into Hoover’s personality。 This is often accomplished by exposing the give-and-take of his relationships with his friends – such as Richard Nixon and Lyndon Johnson – as well as his foes， including Harry Truman， JFK and Bobby Kennedy。But the most valuable feature of this book may be the perspective it provides into the accumulation and use of power by one of America’s most consequential civil servants over the course of an unprecedented half-century-long career。 As such， this is essentially the book that Robert Caro might have written had he decided to tackle J。 Edgar Hoover rather than Lyndon Johnson or Robert Moses。But as interesting as Hoover’s life proves to be， this biography will be a heavy lift for readers seeking the high points and “lessons-learned” without the weighty and occasionally tedious detail。 And for all the book’s serious intensity and judicious assessments， the narrative lacks the colorful， effortless eloquence of the most mellifluous biographies。Overall， though， Beverly Gage’s “G-Man: J。 Edgar Hoover and the Making of the American Century” is a deep， thoughtful and often persuasive exploration of Hoover’s life and penchant for power。 While unsuitable for readers seeking an airy， effortless adventure， this biography offers a thorough and balanced look at the complex life of one of America’s most infamous power brokers。Overall rating: 4½ stars 。。。more

Porter Broyles ，

This is a big book but so far it is a fairly easy read and enjoyable。I am learning a lot about a major influence in American history---a character whom I do not know much about。

The Atlantic ，

"Beverly Gage’s tautly written， meticulously researched biography of J。 Edgar Hoover， the FBI’s longest-serving director， could not be better timed: For six years now， the bureau has managed to confound Americans—infuriating and then winning over Democrats， gratifying and then enraging Republicans。 Gage’s chronicle delivers yet more surprises， as well as rich historical context that helps put these revelations into perspective。 Vilified over the past half-century as the persecutor of 1960s activ "Beverly Gage’s tautly written， meticulously researched biography of J。 Edgar Hoover， the FBI’s longest-serving director， could not be better timed: For six years now， the bureau has managed to confound Americans—infuriating and then winning over Democrats， gratifying and then enraging Republicans。 Gage’s chronicle delivers yet more surprises， as well as rich historical context that helps put these revelations into perspective。 Vilified over the past half-century as the persecutor of 1960s activists and an abuser of surveillance powers， Hoover was widely admired in his dapper younger days。 He cultivated the image of a New Deal professional and， backed by a midcentury political consensus， he carefully sustained the FBI’s public reputation for nonpartisan vigilance。 But the fracturing of that consensus， and the exposure of Hoover’s excesses， spelled the end of his reign。 Filling in the context of the FBI’s original quest for apolitical clout， Gage supplies insights into the bureau’s quandary in our polarized times。"https://www。theatlantic。com/books/arc。。。 。。。more

Kathy ，

Audio well done。

Brian S ，

B。 Gage has written one of the greatest modern biographies of an intensely influential person。 Thank you。

Eleanor Levine ，

Never liked this guy。 Maybe because my parents sent me to Zionist socialist camp， though I ended up hating camp more than Hoover。This book is a bit sycophantic toward Hoover but it delves underneath the politics and the surface of left and right bullshit。 Hoover thought McCarthy was an ass; Nixon sort of abandoned， or wanted to abandon Hoover at the end; Johnson was a great friend; FDR was his best friend; Truman was his worst friend; Eisenhower was a member of Hoover's church and a pretty good Never liked this guy。 Maybe because my parents sent me to Zionist socialist camp， though I ended up hating camp more than Hoover。This book is a bit sycophantic toward Hoover but it delves underneath the politics and the surface of left and right bullshit。 Hoover thought McCarthy was an ass; Nixon sort of abandoned， or wanted to abandon Hoover at the end; Johnson was a great friend; FDR was his best friend; Truman was his worst friend; Eisenhower was a member of Hoover's church and a pretty good friend。Hoover did bug MLK and the women with whom the Civil Rights leader was having affairs; he did distance himself from McCarthy; Hoover didn't protect the Civil Rights workers when they went into the deep South; Hoover did not go out of his way to eradicate Southern bigots though in the end he unraveled the KKK by hiring po' white KKK members to be his undercover informers。Hoover didn't hire women or minorities as "agents"--though he made them chauffeurs and secretaries and they held clerical positions within the FBI。Hoover did not go out of his way to attack gays and lesbians but he certainly lived in a large closet。Sometimes I think Ms。 Gage is Hoover's Pravda biographer; other times she exposes that he was a prick。 All in all， she claims he was a good administrator and certainly did outlast almost everyone。 In this sense， and he was likely not as nice， he had the endurance of Queen Elizabeth who passed this year。Hoover did miss out on Watergate， but his successor was Deep Throat。This book was captivating in a political and soap opera way and kept my attention through the rain of December。Gage makes Hoover less God-like and less devil-like but more infrared human type。I am mostly blown away that he was best buddies with FDR。Read it--it will give you some new revelations。 。。。more

Danny Smith ，

I want to start the review with the acknowledgment that all authors and readers bring a certain bias and set of preconceived notions to the table。 Beverly Gage enlightens the reader about her opinions on Hoover。 The issue with this book is that the potential for a concise brilliant biography is present。 Gage has conducted her research thoroughly and has done a tremendous job in sections。 What separates this from something truly special and noteworthy is the judgments calls made and opinions give I want to start the review with the acknowledgment that all authors and readers bring a certain bias and set of preconceived notions to the table。 Beverly Gage enlightens the reader about her opinions on Hoover。 The issue with this book is that the potential for a concise brilliant biography is present。 Gage has conducted her research thoroughly and has done a tremendous job in sections。 What separates this from something truly special and noteworthy is the judgments calls made and opinions given so often throughout the book they stop being innuendo and begin to take on the life of pseudo facts。 Gage spends more time speculating about Hoover's sexuality than she does speaking about his tackling of high profile crimes in the 30's。 More time is spent arguing that his affiliations with Kappa Alpha fraternity makes him racist than the years spent fighting racism。 Even if the prejudices exist; they are removed as to make Hoover irredeemable。 Hoover is a creature of his time and his evolution in the 20th Century makes him a brilliant character study。 There are sections of this book that truly shine; and I would NEVER discount an author for perceived political and social bias。 But with a page count over 800; the fluff of Hoover's relationship with Clyde Tolson became tedious。 Finally， I find it a bit jeering that Hoover's power grew expansively under Democratic Presidents （Roosevelt， Kennedy， and Johnson） but Gage chooses to gloss over this in favor of associating him with "Best Friend" Nixon。 The bias and contempt is pretty apparent in my opinion; especially with the glossed over fight against Japanese Internment。 This was barely a footnote in two sections of the novel。 Overall the book has the potential to be something special but falls short。 I attribute this to the tumultuous character of Hoover and the emotions his name invokes over Gage's ability to write。 Definitely 3 Stars and something I would recommend to biography and history fans in need of 20th Century character studies。 But falls desperately short when compared to biographies made by writers and historians on the same topic。 That being said， I will happily by Gage's next work as her ability to research is beyond admirable and something I hope will improve！ 。。。more

Timothy Trotter ，

The author examined millions of pages of records while she readily admits she doesn’t like Mr。 Hoover She should have been neutral if choosing him as a subject for her work。She mentioned his rumored sexuality on the second page of the Introduction。

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=G-Man: J. Edgar Hoover and the Making of the American Century

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=G-Man: J. Edgar Hoover and the Making of the American Century&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,G-Man: J. Edgar Hoover and the Making of the American Century&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0