The Secrets of J. Edgar Hoover
<p>As Director of the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover exercised a dictatorial influence over the department – and, it seems, everyone else. Meticulous and vindictive, he frequently weaponised secrets while carefully guarding his own. Deborah Friedell grapples with his overwhelming and disturbing legacy in her sweeping review of <em>G-Man</em>, the first Hoover biography in thirty years. She joins Tom to discuss some of the most puzzling features of Hoover’s personality and approach to policing. Should he have known about Pearl Harbor? Was he in cahoots with the Mafia? And what was his problem with bald men?</p><p>Find further reading on the episode page: <a href="https://lrb.me/hooverpod" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">lrb.me/hooverpod</a></p><br><p>Subscribe to Close Readings:</p><p>Directly in Apple Podcasts here: <a href="https://lrb.me/lrbpodapplesignup" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://apple.co/3pJoFPq</a></p><p>In other podcast apps here: <a href="https://lrb.me/lrbpodsignup" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">lrb.me/closereadings</a></p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
The LRB Podcast · The London Review of Books
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Show Notes
As Director of the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover exercised a dictatorial influence over the department – and, it seems, everyone else. Meticulous and vindictive, he frequently weaponised secrets while carefully guarding his own. Deborah Friedell grapples with his overwhelming and disturbing legacy in her sweeping review of G-Man, the first Hoover biography in thirty years. She joins Tom to discuss some of the most puzzling features of Hoover’s personality and approach to policing. Should he have known about Pearl Harbor? Was he in cahoots with the Mafia? And what was his problem with bald men?
Find further reading on the episode page: lrb.me/hooverpod
Subscribe to Close Readings:
Directly in Apple Podcasts here: https://apple.co/3pJoFPq
In other podcast apps here: lrb.me/closereadings
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.