Customer Reviews

Puppetmaster: The Secret Life of J. Edgar Hoover

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Puppetmaster chronicles the life and career of J. Edgar Hoover, Director of the FBI for over fifty years that lasted continuously across the landscape of eight different U.S. presidents.

Author Richard Hack brings us an engaging look at Hoover's career and his enormous influence in structuring the FBI as an important and powerful law enforcement agency concerned with many of the homeland security issues of the time.

Hoover is an ultimate icon of how one human being can do so much good and yet, at the same time, resort to some of the most corrupt immoral and un-American tactics to achieve his goals.

His life is an example of a highly organized and determined American who believed he was doing what was best for America during his fifty year directorship, He accomplished a tremendous amount in building a strong and stable agency that was truly valuable, and continues to be so, in assisting criminal investigations and apprehensions throughout the country.

Unfortunately, J. Edgar Hoover was a human being who became a bit too impressed with the aura he had created about himself and his very profound human insecurity made him a dangerous person. He was the living embodiment of the axiom that 'power corrurpts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.'

In the interests of national security, Hoover perpetrated some oif the most heinous acts of immorality witnessed in American history. Don't forget, he was in charge for fifty years! Hoover ruined lives, invaded good people's privacy, blackmailed politicians and presidents and believed that he was more important than the very Presidents of the United States he served. That Hoover outlasted eight presidents is witness to the degree to which he so diabolically gathered private and potentially damanging information on others. He made himself indispensable because of his potential danger to important people's lives. They surrendered to him.

Puppetmaster is a well told story of one human being, his influence on our nation and at the same time, the tale of a lonely, powerful, arrogant man who was so insecure in himself that he started confusing national interest with his own peculiar needs. And, he got away with it.

A very worthy read!

Daniel J, Maloney
Saint Paul, Minnesota

Any mention of J. Edgar Hoover these days conjures up images of a cross-dresser in a hotel room and secret files worthy of any blackmailer. While this new biography on Hoover does cover those rumors and hundreds more, that is not the reason to rush immediately to buy this book.
In "Puppetmaster," author Richard Hack unfolds a psychological study of a man as errie as he was fascinating, as powerful as he was corrupt, and as fundamentally patriotic as any man since George Washington.
The book is written like a novel--full of description that flows the reader through tales of gangsters, kidnappings, Communism, wiretaps, and murder. I throughly enjoyed this book, which I absolutely recommend to anyone who wants a wonderful read about a fascinating man.

Richard Hack's book, "Puppetmaster: The Secret Life of J. Edgar Hoover", is well documented, concise, and well presented, but I had to ask myself "where's the beef". There is simply nothing new in this biography of America's number one policeman. The book is 407 pages long. I read to page 357 and finally had to put it down for keeps - there was simply nothing new in this book to entice me to keep reading. The book is well suited for individuals that have very little to no knowledge of the life of J. Edgar Hoover.

I must admit that I was surprised by what I did not find in this new book on Hoover's life. Hoover has always been referred to as the "keeper of secrets". I would have thought that with so many reputed secrets, Richard Hack would have uncovered something new, never-presented material, but such was not the case with Hack's book. I look forward to the day when some of Hoover's well kept secrets are uncovered and brought to life in a new book. But until then there are no new discoveries to be found in "Puppetmaster: The Secret Life of J. Edgar Hoover". I would like to recommend Curt Centry's book, J. Edgar Hoover: The Man and the Secrets as an alternative to "Puppetmaster".

The author's resort to writing descriptive passages of entirely private moments in Hoover's life detracts from the supposed factual nature of this biography. For example, in describing Hoover's actions immediately after his aged mother's death he pictures Hoover standing " naked at the bathroom window, his fleshy body chubby as a bar mizvah boy." Say what? These little flights of literary embellishment diminish what is otherwise an interesting, popular biography of Hoover.

I knew nothing about Hoover before reading this book, but Hack does a comprehensive job in this bio. Hoover is portrayed as a higly intelligent, organized man, who had too much power for his (or the country's) good.

Hoover's need for fame was a double edged sword: It helped promote the FBI and it's intentions, but it also put public image over real substance. The most interesting parts of the book were Hoover tracking down old-time mobsters, and his obsession with Martin Luther King Jr. and his ties to the communist party.

The biggest problems with the book were lack of technical details (Hack throughout mentions illegal wire taps and "black bag jobs", but never goes into details of how they were implemented), and apparent embellishment of the truth. For example, Hack goes into detail in converstaions between 2 people which there are no sources for. This is confusing and detracts from the overall authenticity of the book.

Overall, this was a great book to learn about this unusual leader. I think it paints a farily balanced picture of him, not as an evil man, but of a smart control freak and media hound that was given too much power for too long.

This great bio by Richard Hack follows the life of the long time director of the F.B.I
J. Edgar Hoover starting with his boyhood in the Washington area and following him through his school days and onward to the seat of power. We get an interesting look at Hoover from the days of the mid-west gangsters to hilarious rants on Martin Luther King that border on paranoia.

Before when I thought of J. Edgar Hoover I always had a vague picture an evil man who indulged in activates in secret that he ruined other people for. It is interesting to see the interpretation in this book; it was not the man that was evil it was just that as time went on he used evil methods to hold on to his power.

While it is tempting for some to want a watershed moment where Hoover would either "get with it" or retire it never arrives. Instead Hoover goes on becoming less and less relevant and that if nothing else can be considered a form of poetic justice.

Before I read this I had a reasonably good general knowledge of Hoover from reading books about 20th Century US History in general. However, I had not read a dedicated biography of Hoover himself. Some reviewers have remarked that Hack's book does not add anything really new. This may or may not be true. However, I found it to be a good read and a well paced, well written, well laid out biography of a very strange and important man.

One thing that was jarring about Hack's book is that occassionally he will delve into internal dialogue that is clearly speculation on his part. For example, he will describe what Hoover was thinking as he lay in bed at night, or what he was thinking in the shower. Without sources, such as a diary entry, this is clearly just speculative embellishment. Hack also describes some personal lunch conversations that appear to be speculative as well. The speculation seems reasonable, however, and is not salacious or scandalous.

In fact, one thing that probably sets this biography apart from others (not that I have read others, but I am familiar with accusations in other biographies of Hoover), is that Hack concludes that Hoover was probably not an actively homosexual man and that his strange relationship with Clyde Tolson was platonic. More accurately, he claims that there is no real evidence that the relationship with Tolson was non-platonic.

Hack provides a very balanced portrait of Hoover, giving credit to his incredible drive, patriotism, and loyalty to his ideal of the American Way. Hack also presents a Hoover who was constantly self-promoting, paranoid, and who used his office for personal gain in the form of book royalties, government paid vacations, graft from "friends" and government paid improvements to his house. While Hoover's disregard of civil liberties is clear to all, Hoover's lack of financial integrity somehow left a deeper impression with this reader.

I recommend this book. In understanding Hoover's long life as a civil servant, the reader gains a deeper understanding of America from before the First World War to just before Watergate.

As the USA focuses on domestic intelligence, this stunning work helps clarify issues citizens need to focus on. This thorough and insightful look at the bureaucratic career of the 20th century details the triumphs and pitfalls of intelligence gathering, as well as road signs on abuse of federal power.From the Palmer raids to the reform that led to J. Edgar assuming power to the director twisting heart-thumping patriotism into the ability to shelter gangland murder, the truth provides more drama than the folk legends of cross-dressing.

As American public opinion helps shape national intelligence and security, this book provides new and invaluable insight. A thorough and insightful index provides access to the details and personalities of a singular man and career.

I ordered this book for my father-in-law for Christmas. It arrived earlier than the estimated arrival date, which was wonderful. The book was in great shape. I had a great experience buying this product. I would definitely buy from here again.

Fascinating story and very educational. Well written; I couldn't put it down. Hoover did start out wanting to do the right thing for America, but in the end it was all about keeping his power at any cost or at the expense of others. In the end what did he gain? Nothing, just fed his massed up ego, however some of his victims deserved his punishment because they were not as innocent as we think.