Hoover

An Extraordinary Life in Extraordinary Times

De: Kenneth Whyte

Narrado por: Richard Ferrone

"An exemplary biography—exhaustively researched, fair-minded and easy to read. It can nestle on the same shelf as David McCullough’s Truman, a high compliment indeed." —The Wall Street Journal

The definitive biography of Herbert Hoover, one of the most remarkable Americans of the twentieth century—a wholly original account that will forever change the way Americans understand the man, his presidency, his battle against the Great Depression, and their own history.

An impoverished orphan who built a fortune. A great humanitarian. A president elected in a landslide and then resoundingly defeated four years later. Arguably the father of both New Deal liberalism and modern conservatism, Herbert Hoover lived one of the most extraordinary American lives of the twentieth century. Yet however astonishing, his accomplishments are often eclipsed by the perception that Hoover was inept and heartless in the face of the Great Depression.

Now, Kenneth Whyte vividly recreates Hoover’s rich and dramatic life in all its complex glory. He follows Hoover through his Iowa boyhood, his cutthroat business career, his brilliant rescue of millions of lives during World War I and the 1927 Mississippi floods, his misconstrued presidency, his defeat at the hands of a ruthless Franklin Roosevelt, his devastating years in the political wilderness, his return to grace as Truman's emissary to help European refugees after World War II, and his final vindication in the days of Kennedy's "New Frontier." Ultimately, Whyte brings to light Hoover’s complexities and contradictions—his modesty and ambition, his ruthlessness and extreme generosity—as well as his profound political legacy.

Hoover: An Extraordinary Life in Extraordinary Times is the epic, poignant story of the deprived boy who, through force of will, made himself the most accomplished figure in the land, and who experienced a range of achievements and failures unmatched by any American of his, or perhaps any, era. Here, for the first time, is the definitive biography that fully captures the colossal scale of Hoover’s momentous life and volatile times.

A new appreciation.

From a rather uninformed but negative opinion of Hoover this book has completely changed my appreciation for this complex and highly accomplished man.

Extraordinary accounting of the President’s life

Respectful. Encompassing birth to his passing. Not with out criticism but seemed unbiased reporting. A very under recognized president in my opinion gets a fair hearing.

Great history of a lesser known president

Hoover obviously is known for the great depression but this book does a great job of giving a much wider look. Hoover led one of the more impressive lives of any president. The author does a good job giving a fair look at the good and bad from Hoovers life. Long read but it was interesting and informative.

An insightful biography

This biography illuminates the many contributions of Hoover to the whole world from his extraordinary humanitarian efforts in famine and disaster relief through his laying of the groundwork for the recovery from the Great Depression. His massive contributions have been obscured by that economic downturn and the ascendency of FDR. A book well worth reading and a life that should be celebrated much more than it has been. Exceptionally researched and beautifully written.

Much misunderstood and he certainly had his demons but I can’t help but like him.

Hoover’s early life was interesting and one can see why his personality developed the way it did. The mining days dragged on for me. I felt the writer was as unbiased as could be. I’ve never been a fan of Roosevelt and can certainly understand Hoovers dislike and distrust of him . It would be nice if Hoover would get more credit for his work in trying to stem the tide of the depression. He really gave a heroic effort and seemed to have a good handle of what needed to be done. I would recommend this book to anyone liking history

Remarkable

Herbert Hoover lived a complex and misunderstood life. His role in the great depression has been overstated and his contributions to world food supply understated. Great insights.

Comprehensive narrative

Fantastic storytelling. Very detailed, well researched book of Hoover's life, youth to death. Highly recommend!

What a fascinating story!

I only knew about Herbert Hoover as president and this book, in the almost 28 hours of narration, tells the complete story about how Mr. Hoover grew up in meager circumstances, losing both parents at an early age, and then transformed himself into a business power after gaining a degree in Geology at Stanford University.

The book also takes a fair position on how Mr. Hoover was castigated by the press and the Roosevelt administration and shows the great value he placed in public service, especially when it comes to caring for the "collateral damage" in war time, namely the starving women and children in Europe.

A great book that I will probably listen to again.

Hoover

A man of times, He wasn't all bad for he was he was a good person. But the democrats kept trying to destroy all he had done by making him look bad and going after everyone in his cabinets as corrupt.

An extraordinary biography.

This book is a sound tribute to one of the greatest Americans of the 20th century. His life exemplifies what a working President should do. His dedication to improving himself and his country are cornerstones of how wealth can be used in America. So glad the docent at his Presidential Library recommended this book to me. Makes me proud to be an American.