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Master of Deceit: J. Edgar Hoover and America in the Age of Lies by Marc Aronson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Aronson’s portrait of J. Edgar Hoover during his 40 year reign as the head of the FBI was riveting and to quote the author, “scary.” I didn’t really know much about Hoover and I was sickened by his tactics. Hoover blackmailed “everyone” by keeping secret files; he poisoned his staff with his directives and took advantage of his position whenever he felt the inclination. There was meticulous period research but this did not read like a history book but a superb thriller you can’t put down. This period in US history was certainly tainted with the likes of J. Edgar Hoover and Joseph MacCarthy. As I rooted for those “few” who took on J. Edgar Hoover with right and might; I cried for the many like the Rosenbergs, the Scottsboro Boys and Martin Luther King. Illustrated and Includes bibliographical references (p. 198-219) and index. Highly recommended for high school students.

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