PUPPETMASTER: The Secret Life of J. Edgar Hoover

by Richard Hack

Overview

J. Edgar Hoover, the most powerful lawman in America for over fifty years, was also the country's most controversial and feared public servant. His career as director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation spanned nine different presidential administrations and survived a dozen attempts to sweep him from office. During that time, Hoover completely reshaped domestic law enforcement as he expended the reach of the FBI and transformed his G-men into an elite national crime fighting division. Despite his contributions to the criminal justice system, Hoover fell from favor soon after his death, the victim of rampant rumors and innuendo.

In Puppetmaster, author Richard Hack separates truth from fiction to reveal the most hidden secrets of Hoover's private life and exposes previously undisclosed conduct that threatened to compromise the security of the entire nation. Based on newly uncovered files and personal documents as well as over 100,000 pages of FBI memos and State Department papers, Hack rips the lid off the director's facade of propriety to detail a life replete with sexual indiscretions, criminal behavior and a long-standing alliance with the Mafia.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940012928641
Publisher:	PHOENIX BOOKS INC
Publication date:	06/04/2011
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	468
Sales rank:	157,757
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

An investigative writer for over 20 years, Richard Hack has written 14 books, including biographies of Ted Turner, Michael Jackson, and J. Edgar Hoover. In 2001, he wrote the critically acclaimed national bestseller Hughes: The Private Diaries, Letters and Memos. His most recent book is Duchess of Death: The Unauthorized Biography of Agatha Christie.

Editorial Reviews

Truman Capote exposes J. Edgar Hoover! Who would not buy that book? In 1980, Capote -- who called Hoover and Hoover's constant companion Clyde Tolson "Johnny and Clyde" -- started interviews for his expose, apparently unconcerned about the 200-page secret chronicle of his own sybaritic lifestyle at FBI headquarters. Unfortunately, Capote got diverted and eventually passed his notes along to investigative reporter / biographer Richard Hack.

David Marston

Richard Hack’s biography of J. Edgar Hoover presents memorable images of the life of one of the strangest public characters in American history. Readers looking for scandals revealed, and expecting to find sex stories will come away disappointed. The scandals exposed have everything to do with money and power. Hoover was a haunted man, living in fear of many demons. Hack lays out the events of Hoover’s life in ways that conclude that none of the excesses were worth the cost.

Steve Hopkins