Potus Geeks Book Review: Herbert Hoover in the White House - The Ordeal of the Presidency
Herbert Hoover was a complex man. He was a man of great accomplishment, a great humanitarian and at times a capable administrator. He was also someone who was at sea in the give-and-take world of politics, reluctant to compromise, uncomfortable in many social and public settings, a stilted orator, thin-skinned and blind to political reality. In his terrific 2016 book entitled Herbert Hoover in the White House: The Ordeal of the Presidency author Charles Rappleye does an outstanding job of capturing and presenting the complexities of character of this very private and enigmatic president, while at the same time walking the reader through the experiences of the great depression as it unfolded on Hoover's watch.
As the title of the book suggests, this is mainly a chronicle of Hoover's presidency, though his antecedents and post-presidency are both touched on. Rappleye draws from a variety of interesting sources, including the diaries of a number of Hoover contemporaries and subordinates, as well as letters from Hoover and his wife Lou to their children. He gives the reader a fascinating perspective of what it must have been like in the White House for Hoover and his inner circle as he began and continued his presidency besieged with an unrelenting and incessant series of financial bad news, commencing with a stock market bubble that Hoover recognizes, but whose significance he is unable to get others to appreciate until it is too late. This is followed by the great stock market crash of 1929, the politically sensitive issue of European reparation loans, bank collapses and closings at home and in Europe, rampant unemployment, and falling crop and commodity prices so low that they make production a losing proposition. This book will likely be of special interest to those with a fascination for economics and with an interest into how the great depression came to be. Rappleye is talented at explaining these matters in a language that the rest of us are able to understand, while not making it too simplistic or dumbing it down too much.
The author also shows how Hoover's interpersonal skills, or lack thereof, hamstrung his abilities to meet the daunting challenges that he faced. Hoover's alienation of members of Congress, including a group of senators from his own party dubbed the "insurgents", and his inability to appreciate the need for working with these legislators as a necessary prerequisite for tacking the problems he had to address is explored. The Great Humanitarian, unfortunately, was not a great communicator and did not work well with others. The author demonstrates how Hoover's inability to work with bankers obstructed his relief efforts and how his alienation of the media hurt him in the eyes of the public.
Rappleye gives the reader an excellent account of Hoover's final days in office and how his subject transitioned to almost Nixonian depths, unaware of the level of public discontent, and unable to get his message across. He tells the story of the Bonus Marchers and describes how Hoover's role in the incident is much different than is often portrayed and how Hoover was unfairly vilified for his part in how things unfolded. He also describes the rise of Franklin Delano Roosevelt and how the Democratic candidate was able to get and keep Hoover on the defensive and how FDR was able to spin the message for voters that Hoover was for the banks and big business, and not for the little guy.
Rappleye touches all of the bases in this book and does so in an engaging and entertaining style. He conveys an understanding of Hoover the man, Hoover the president and the interesting times that Hoover lived in. It is astonishing that he is able to give the reader insight into the mind of such a private and complex subject, resulting in an excellent and worthwhile read for those interested in depression era, economic and presidential history.
As the title of the book suggests, this is mainly a chronicle of Hoover's presidency, though his antecedents and post-presidency are both touched on. Rappleye draws from a variety of interesting sources, including the diaries of a number of Hoover contemporaries and subordinates, as well as letters from Hoover and his wife Lou to their children. He gives the reader a fascinating perspective of what it must have been like in the White House for Hoover and his inner circle as he began and continued his presidency besieged with an unrelenting and incessant series of financial bad news, commencing with a stock market bubble that Hoover recognizes, but whose significance he is unable to get others to appreciate until it is too late. This is followed by the great stock market crash of 1929, the politically sensitive issue of European reparation loans, bank collapses and closings at home and in Europe, rampant unemployment, and falling crop and commodity prices so low that they make production a losing proposition. This book will likely be of special interest to those with a fascination for economics and with an interest into how the great depression came to be. Rappleye is talented at explaining these matters in a language that the rest of us are able to understand, while not making it too simplistic or dumbing it down too much.
The author also shows how Hoover's interpersonal skills, or lack thereof, hamstrung his abilities to meet the daunting challenges that he faced. Hoover's alienation of members of Congress, including a group of senators from his own party dubbed the "insurgents", and his inability to appreciate the need for working with these legislators as a necessary prerequisite for tacking the problems he had to address is explored. The Great Humanitarian, unfortunately, was not a great communicator and did not work well with others. The author demonstrates how Hoover's inability to work with bankers obstructed his relief efforts and how his alienation of the media hurt him in the eyes of the public.
Rappleye gives the reader an excellent account of Hoover's final days in office and how his subject transitioned to almost Nixonian depths, unaware of the level of public discontent, and unable to get his message across. He tells the story of the Bonus Marchers and describes how Hoover's role in the incident is much different than is often portrayed and how Hoover was unfairly vilified for his part in how things unfolded. He also describes the rise of Franklin Delano Roosevelt and how the Democratic candidate was able to get and keep Hoover on the defensive and how FDR was able to spin the message for voters that Hoover was for the banks and big business, and not for the little guy.
Rappleye touches all of the bases in this book and does so in an engaging and entertaining style. He conveys an understanding of Hoover the man, Hoover the president and the interesting times that Hoover lived in. It is astonishing that he is able to give the reader insight into the mind of such a private and complex subject, resulting in an excellent and worthwhile read for those interested in depression era, economic and presidential history.