The Life of Herbert Hoover: The Humanitarian, 1914-1917 (Life of Herbert Hoover, Vol. 2) (Hardcover)

~ George H. Nash (Author) "SITTING in his office in London's financial district on August 4, 1914, Herbert Hoover was a troubled man..." (more)
Key Phrases: office dossier, page proof version, cable files, New York, United States, Brand Whitlock (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In the opening volume of this biography, Nash covers the first 40 years of Hoover's remarkably varied and productive life, with emphasis on his career as a mining engineer. The second installment deals with his masterful administration of the Commission for Relief in Belgium during World War I, which saw to the acquisition and distribution of food, clothing and medical supplies to more than nine million Belgian and French citizens trapped between the German army of occupation and a British naval blockade. It was the largest relief program in history, and the fulcrum of its success was Hoover's ability to elicit cooperation from British and French cabinet ministers, German generals, Belgian financiers and American charity officials. Nash leaves no doubt that Hoover's cultivation of public support for the effort in the U.S. was crucial. By 1917, the one-time mining engineer who was to become our 31st president had earned an international reputation as a humanitarian and had taken his first major step on the long road to the White House. A memorable portrait of a man who was "a personified combination of idealism and power." Photos.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Nash's multivolume biography seems destined to become the standard work on the much misunderstood and unappreciated 31st president. This second volume (the first is subtitled The Engineer, 1874-1914 , LJ 3/1/83) details Hoover's entry into public life, specifically his work on the American Relief Commission and the Commission for Relief in Belgium during World War I. Like the preceding volume, this is well written and well researched. Readers interested in a shorter, less detailed account might prefer Joan Hoff Wilson's Herbert Hoover: Forgotten Progressive ( 1975) or Richard Norton Smith's An Uncommon Man: The Triumph of Herbert Hoover ( S . & S., 1984), but for a full and comprehensive treatment , Nash's work is difficult to surpass. Scott Wright, Coll. of St. Thomas, St. Paul
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 497 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company; 1st edition (August 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393025500
• ISBN-13: 978-0393025507
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.5 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
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• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #340,304 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)