Huey Long by T. Harry Williams
|
List Price: Our Price: $2.94 You Save: $22.06 (88%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
Book Reviews of Huey Long
Book Review: detailed but fairly uncritical
Summary: 3 Stars
This lengthy tome is a fascinating read. Williams captures the Kingfish in all his colorful glory, from his early days as a salesman to his law career (championing, of course, underdogs), from his years on the Louisiana Railroad Commission through his governorship to his time in the U.S. Senate. Long was clearly a talented politician, and one gets the sense that he would have been a powerful figure in Louisiana even had the Depression not come. But Long was able to use the economic woes to increase his standing in the state, to flesh out a very progressive agenda, and to gain national prominence. There is at least mild reason to suspect that had he not been assassinated in September 1935, Long could have given FDR a run for his money in 1936. Williams overstates this case and understates the pure political savvy of Roosevelt, who played a nice game of "triangulation" by adopting some (though never all) of Long's positions and sapping some of his support. (Alan Brinkley demonstrates this brilliantly in his VOICES OF PROTEST.)
This points up one of the book's biggest (almost devasting) flaws: it is overly sympathetic to Long. Williams tells an amazing story, dropping just the right anecdote at just the right time, and he manages to explain the strange, arcane world of Louisiana politics. But too often, he refuses to cast a critical eye on the Kingfish. Sometimes, this takes the shape of the old ends justifying the means excuse: Huey might have resorted to undemocratic means, but it was mostly forgivable since he pursued noble causes that benefited the poor and downtrodden. Other times, Williams blames Long's opposition (which he paints as a bumbling bunch of conservative--though, of course, Democratic--fools) for Long's excesses: since his opponents usually put up weak resistance, if any at all, Long was justified in steamrolling over them. Until almost the very end, until the evidence becomes overwhelming, Williams refuses to criticize Long for his undemocratic methods. He makes the case that power corrupts, but Long became corrupt long before Williams admits he did.
Even so, this is the "classic" biography of Huey Long and very much worth a read for anyone interested in Long, Louisiana, or the Depression era.
Book Review: Incredibly researched
Summary: 3 Stars
Don't get me wrong, if you want to know about Huey Long, this is the book! It's just not the smoothest/fastest read. I knew nothing about Huey Long before picking this up, except that he was considered a demagogue. Apparently he was one of the most amazing politicians of at least the 20th century, if not in American history. Unfortunately, I knew nothing of the supposed infamous goings-on around Huey and found some of the detailed explanations of what seemed like tedious little legends to be far too long and boring. Never heard of a round robin and I am now convinced I never want to hear of one again. When comparing this book to "Truman" by McCullough, there really is no comparison - Truman is the greatest biography ever. This book is incredibly well researched and (in some ways unfortunately) does not leave anything out. PEACEBook Review: Useful but lumbering, borders on hero worship
Summary: 3 Stars
Because Dr. Williams so thoroughly details Huey Long's fascinating life, this book is important. Especially interesting is Dr. Williams' portrait of the young Huey Long and his rise. However, the book often gets bogged down in the Byzantine world of Louisiana politics. It is often plodding. More disappointing is the lack of critical analysis. Basically, Dr. Williams believes Huey Long could do no wrong. Long's conservative enemies were all bad people who wanted to keep the downtrodden in their place. Dr. Williams does not acknowledge that Long's political enemies might have philosophical differences with him. Long's enemies are not really persons in this book; they're all the same caricature.Book Review: exciting at first, then loses focus; also too pro-Long
Summary: 3 Stars
basically the 1 line above says it. the writing kind of peters out and becomes tiresome even, although Long personally is always fascinating. Also, Williams seems to think Long's abuse of power and corruption were amusing. maybe for the historian. a better read by far would be the great classic, Robert Penn Warren's All the King's Men. of course that's fiction, but so is some of Williams's interpretation.Book Review: exciting at first, then loses focus; also too pro-Long
Summary: 3 Stars
basically the 1 line above says it. the writing kind of peters out and becomes tiresome even, although Long personally is always fascinating. Also, Williams seems to think Long's abuse of power and corruption were amusing. maybe for the historian. a better read by far would be the great classic, Robert Penn Warren's All the King's Men. of course that's fiction, but so is some of Williams's interpretation.