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

My book for June was G-Man: J. Edgar Hoover and the Making of the American Century by Beverly Gage. I have been looking for a book about Hoover for years. He shows up in so many of the biographies that I have read. Then this book popped up; it was the winner of the 2023 Pulitzer Prize in Biography.

Hoover worked for the Justice Department for 55 years under ten Presidents. President Calvin Coolidge first appointed Hoover as director of the Bureau of Investigation, the predecessor to the Federal Bureau of investigation, in 1924. After 11 years in the post, Hoover became instrumental in founding the FBI in June 1935. He remained director for an additional 37 years until his death in May 1972 at age 77. Hoover had very strong relationships with FDR, Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon.

Hoover expanded the FBI into a larger crime-fighting agency and instituted a number of modernizations to policing technology, such as a centralized fingerprint file and forensic laboratories. Hoover established and expanded a national blacklist.

The book navigates the complexities of Hoover's tenure as FBI director. It delves into his successes, including building the FBI into a formidable law enforcement agency, combating organized crime, and contributing to national security. It also exposes his darker side, including Hoover's abuse of power, his obsession with political enemies, and his role in fostering a climate of fear.

Hoover was obsessed with the Communist Party. Under the code name COINTELRPO, the FBI used a number of strategies to disrupt the Communist Party, including infiltration, burglaries, setting up illegal wiretaps, planting forged documents, and spreading false rumors about key members. Under the theory that the communists were playing a role in the civil rights movement in the 1960s, Hoover extended these strategies to Martin Luther King and his movement.

The struggles that the FBI encountered pursuing civil rights cases in the South in the 1950s and 1960s are eye opening. The examples are horiffic. The book covers the JFK, Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy assassinations and FBI investigations.

The book also looks at Hoover's sexuality. Clyde Tolson was the second-ranking official of the FBI from 1930 until 1972. He and Hoover worked closely together during the day, took meals together, went to night clubs in New York City and vacationed together in Florida and California. They were invited to social gatherings as a couple. Tolson herited Hoover's estate. While there continues to be some debate about the nature of their relationship, it is hard to believe that they didn't have a sexual relationship.

It is incredible how long Hoover was in power. The story is an amazing walk through the history of the 20th century. At more than 700 pages, it is a little bit of a load, but it was worth it. I recommend the book.