The Secret Life Of J. Edgar Hoover [Import] [Hardcover]

Anthony Summers (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 800 pages
• Publisher: Victor Gollancz; Not a first edition. edition (1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0575042362
• ISBN-13: 978-0575042360
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.5 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,023,465 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating and eye-opening, October 17, 2007

By 

C. J. Conrad (North Carolina, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

A truly interesting book. I have to say that it changed my view on the legendary man, and opens my eyes to how power corrupts. It's a bit long, but I'd recommend this to anyone interested in American politics in the 20th century.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Man of Contradictions, January 21, 2008

By 

W. S. McKenzie (Albuquerque, NM USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Anthony Summers presents J. Edgar Hoover as a man who insisted his agents lead a monastic life style while he enjoyed good whisky, gambling, and free vacations. He vilified homosexuals while himself involved with a male partner and he was capable of cross-dressing at private parties. He portrayed himself as the bulwark against crime yet coddled the Mafia and resisted any attempt at stopping their illegal activities. Ranted against communism but diverted resources to concentrate on building files on U.S. Congressmen and politicians without effectively stopping the Soviet intelligence attack throughout the cold war.

It is a frightening story of political maneuvering, blackmailing and excesses solely to maintain power. Summer's book includes extensive notes and bibliography. Written in 1993 it does not deal with the great failures that have been revealed in the past fifteen years such as the Robert Hanssen and Aldrich Ames cases. It does imply that Hoover's emphasis of show and power could have resulted in the FBI functioning to fit his image and maintain his power base at the expense of protecting American Security.

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent biography on J. Edgar Hoover!, November 24, 1999

By 

Cassie M. (Peebles, OH) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Official and Confidential: The Secret Life of J. Edgar Hoover (Hardcover)

Once I had begun to read this book, it took everything I had to put it down in order to get some sleep and do my schoolwork. The power that Hoover possessed and how he fed on the fears of government officials who tried to kick him out, is absolutly fantastic to read about. To learn how corrupt the man who was considered by many to be an American hero was proved to be among the many elements of this book that keeps you wanting to read it. I had no idea that Hoover was a closet transvestite until I read this book, but now I enjoy reading this book, both for pleasure and research. I recommend it to anyone who wants to read some interesting stuff!