Kingfish: The Reign of Huey P. Long

by Richard D. White Jr.

Paperback, 2006

Status

Available

Call number

976.3

Genres

Politics, Government, Law and Public Policy

Publication

Random House Trade Paperbacks (2006), Edition: Illustrated, 400 pages

Description

Outrageous demagogue or charismatic visionary? In this powerful new biography, Richard D. White, Jr., brings Huey Long to life in all his blazing, controversial glory. From the moment he took office as governor in 1928 to the day an assassin's bullet cut him down in1935, Huey Long wielded all but dictatorial control over the state of Louisiana. A man of shameless ambition and ruthless vindictiveness, Huey orchestrated elections, hired and fired thousands at will, and deployed the state militia as his personal police force. And yet, paradoxically, as governor and later as senator, Huey did more good for the state's poor and uneducated than any politician before or since. With Kingfish, White has crafted a balanced, lucid, and absolutely spellbinding portrait of the life and times of the most incendiary figure in American politics.… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member jguidry

This was an okay book about an interesting man. The information was very well-researched. I'm from Louisiana and I'm very familiar with the Huey Long School of Politics", but even I learned new things from this book. For instance, I never knew the animosity between Roosevelt and Long. I did

like how the author tried to explain all sides to the story. He did not blame Huey entirely for everything and pointed out things others did that were just as bad (or worse depending on your perspective) as Huey in Louisiana. My main complaint was the author's writing style. He appeared to be going for an episodic type story. He tried to explain Huey's life as a series of episodes. The problem was that sometimes the chronological story got lost and confused in the episodes. Once I got used to the style, I was able to enjoy the retelling of the life (and death) of our very own Kingfish. I would have liked a little more information on the assassination and the aftermath, but that wasn't the author's focus in this book so I understand why he moved quickly through it."

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