Curt Gentry (1931–2014)

I found Curt Gentry’s biography on J. Edgar Hoover to be interesting and enlightening. A solid 4 star book.

As with many men who aspire to or achieve greatness and Hoover was both, Hoover was a complex enigma of a man. A converted Presbyterian who considered 2 career path of either a Presbyterian Clergy or Law Enforcement he was a man of early and mid 20th century beliefs and biases.

To say Hoover brought a sense of purpose and professionalism to the FBI is without doubt. That his length of show more tenure was dramatically too long and that he betrayed many of the aspects of professionalism is also beyond doubt.

Hoover allowed his prejudices against minorities to color his priorities, specifically in his persecution of Martin Luther King Jr. His overriding belief in the evils of international communism led to many of his early successes but ultimately led him to pursue this overwhelmingly over other cases , even when the facts warranted other allocation of resources and colored his view if the anti war movement. His refusal to accept the existence of organized crime and the Mafia was unconscionable.

His insecurity allowed him to build few close relationships and led to him trying to find information to blackmail or or influence others to support him. His acceptance of internal corruption and willingness to engage in it himself was unpardonable for the head of the FBI.

A great man who was greatly flawed.

A wonderful book to gain insight into J. Edgar Hoover as a person and leader. show less

A very interesting and detailed overview of six decades of Bay Area bawdy houses from the humble beginnings of a handful or working girls in a sea of thousands of 49ers up to a high point of a thriving sex industry in the last half of the Nineteenth Century until a fitful and slow dying off in the early Twentieth Century under the weight of women's suffrage and the moralistic Temperance Movement. Compiled largely from period memoirs, newspaper accounts, and court testimony this work recalls show more such spirited "procuress" pioneers as Ah Toy, Belle Cora (Arabella Ryan), and more. show less

A compelling and thorough account of America's Policeman.

It's very frightening to see how long one man can endure at such a high reach of power for so long, and be thought as indispensable and terrifying at once. His utterly calculating and harshly efficient personality led him through crises from disgruntled WWI veterans' riots through to the Watergate coverup - it was arguably his death that led to a collapse in Nixon's defenses, and his later resignation.

With all of these scary details, show more the biography makes for an interesting read. show less

Over the years I have re-read this book many times. It is a very interesting way to look at what California's contribution to the country and to the world is and speculation on what the country and the world would be like without our state. I enjoy his writing style and after reading this book searched out a few others that he wrote.