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

He had served under eight presidents and eighteen Attorneys General. His tenure as a director of the FBI (formerly the Bureau of Investigation) lasted for forty-eight years. He had friends and supporters among both republicans and democrats. At times when his popularity among influential circles dwindled, he retained it among the American people. He was a man who had fought gangsters, Soviet spies, and abettors who threatened to destroy the American way of life and the American dream with it.

J. Edgar Hoover was an extraordinary man, and even the author’s evident dislike of him could not prevent me from seeing it.

“G-Man: J. Edgar Hoover and the Making of the American Century” by Beverly Gage is a meticulously researched work. It delves deep into every aspect of its subject’s life. Such research clearly required a huge amount of time, and the number of sources used is truly intimidating. The book begins not with Hoover’s birth but with a brief foray into the trials and tribulations of his parents’ families. In an attempt, as I understand it, to better present a certain facet of Hoover’s character, the author explains the events in his predecessors’ families, which might have led to a certain pattern of his behaviour. Next, all stages of Hoover’s career are described in detail, from his first years in the civil sector to his subsequent work leading the FBI.

Reading this book was extremely educational. Apart from the general knowledge that J. Edgar Hoover was the head of the FBI, and as could be concluded, a notable one since the headquarters’ building still bears his name, I knew nothing about the man. This biography undoubtedly fills the gaps. Still, certain things have spoilt the overall experience.

The author’s efforts to form readers’ opinions of Hoover are too apparent, which makes them especially annoying. While reading, a scene from the “Men in Black 2” movie popped up in my memory. The one where Agent J, played by Will Smith, speaks to a girl after an incident with encountering the aliens. She tells him, “I know what I saw. You tell me what I’m supposed to believe.” That’s how I felt reading this book. I was given the facts and then instructions about how I should interpret them. I’ll be honest, I do not appreciate such an approach. Especially, when from the facts that I was given, I drew a totally different picture.

The author was very persistent in stressing that Hoover never admitted that he was gay, and consequently, the nature of his relationship with Clyde Tolson, the man with whom Hoover’s life was connected for forty years. It was repeated again and again in the manner that, although it was obvious to everyone, the man never confessed openly, neither in words nor in letters. To me personally, it doesn’t matter whether he and Tolson were lovers or simply lifelong friends. I do not see why anyone has an obligation to share this kind of personal information. My opinion of people does not depend not only on their orientation but also on whether they choose to share about it.

Irrespective of the nature of the relationship between Hoover and Tolson, I respect their dedication to it. To be together for several decades, through thick and thin, is admirable. In my view, more admirable than admitting one’s orientation and chaotically jumping from one relationship to another.

Maybe the author wanted to demonstrate to readers that Hoover was not perfect since he chose not to make himself a martyr by admitting that he was gay during the Lavender Scare, when many civil servants were fired based on their orientation. Again, I don’t see why anyone can be expected to do something so harmful to themselves. It would be the same as portraying a person, who the current tendencies require to present in a certain light, from a totally different perspective. First of all, such a book wouldn’t be traditionally published. And second, the courage behind the deed would be left unnoticed.

Another thing that I felt readers were pushed to embrace was that Hoover was incompetent. That everything or almost everything about his career was fake. All his achievements and successful operations, even the qualifications of the FBI agents. Mentioning a certain scandalous case involving Martin Luther King Jr., which materials have been closed for public for fifty years by a court order, until 2027, the author casually drops something like ‘but there’s nothing to support it but the words of the FBI agents,’ alluding, as I see it, that the words of the agents serving under Hoover in the Federal Bureau of Investigation are not to be trusted. I find it too far-fetched to take into account. So I’ll wait until 2027, and if the materials are made public, I’ll form my own opinion.

One more accusation that the author seems to throw at Hoover is that he didn’t do enough to help fight segregation in the South. From the facts listed in the book, though, I got an impression that he did everything he could, despite being repeatedly discouraged by the outcome of the operations. He was reluctant to involve the FBI in the issues of the South, that’s true. Yet, when he received an order, he executed it. Even after one more case, which his agents helped bring to court, turned to dust under the power of white local judges.

This review is already too long, so I will stop listing the things that I have found controversial in this portrayal of J. Edgar Hoover. As I mentioned earlier, I enjoyed reading this biography. I learnt a lot, and I love books that teach me something new about the world and enrich my knowledge about history and people. One last remark, which I’ll allow myself, is that as someone familiar with civil service, I cannot but admire Hoover’s ability to stay afloat in the turbulent waters of bureaucracy and politics. Only a person with a unique intuition and gumption could have accomplished what he had done. He wasn’t perfect, that’s for sure. Neither of us is. Being who he was and how close he was to those with immense power, he had to adapt his principles to the situation. It doesn’t make him a saint or a hero. Still, to say that “That building will no doubt bear a different name – and it should, for Hoover does not deserve the honor,” apart from being downright disrespectful, feels like a cheap manipulation with the readers’ perception.