Pulitzer Prize Biography Winner
G-Man: J. Edgar Hoover and the Making of the American Century
by Beverly Gage
Summary
Gage offers a comprehensive life of J. Edgar Hoover, the man who built the FBI and ran it for nearly fifty years across eight presidencies. The book examines how he shaped federal law enforcement while abusing power through surveillance and political intimidation. It places Hoover at the center of American conservatism and the contested story of the twentieth century state.
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Historical Context & Significance
Gage used recently declassified records to chart Hoover's tenure as FBI director from 1924 until his death in 1972.