G-Man: J. Edgar Hoover and the Making of the American Century is a biography of long-time FBI director J. Edgar Hoover by historian Beverly Gage, first published by Viking Press in 2022. As the first biography of Hoover in 30 years, the 800-page volume uses new sources uncovered by Freedom of Information Act requests.

The book received multiple prizes: the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Biography,[1] the 2023 Bancroft Prize, the 2023 Barbara and David Zalaznick Book Prize in American History,[2] the 2023 Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Biography,[3] and the 2022 National Book Critics Circle Award for Biography.[4]

Critical response

The book earned acclaim from various sources; it was named a Best Book of 2022 by The Atlantic, The Washington Post, and Smithsonian magazine and a New York Times Top 100 Notable Books of 2022.[5]

The Washington Post stated: "Masterful ... This book is an enduring, formidable accomplishment, a monument to the power of biography [that] now becomes the definitive work."[5]

The Wall Street Journal also reviewed the book, calling it "A nuanced portrait in a league with the best of Ron Chernow and David McCullough."[5]

References

  1. ↑ Khatib, Joumana; Alter, Alexandra; Harris, Elizabeth A. (May 8, 2023). "Pulitzer Prizes 2023: A Guide to the Winning Books and Finalists". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331.
  2. ↑ Schuessler, Jennifer (March 23, 2023). "Hoover Biographer Wins American History Book Prize". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331.
  3. ↑ St. Martin, Emily (April 22, 2023). "Los Angeles Times Book Prizes winners announced". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
  4. ↑ St. Martin, Emily (March 24, 2023). "Ling Ma, Isaac Butler and Morgan Talty among National Book Critics Circle Award winners". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 "G-Man: J. Edgar Hoover and the Making of the American Century, by Beverly Gage (Viking)". The Pulitzer Prizes. Retrieved April 2, 2025.

Further reading

source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G-Man:_J._Edgar_Hoover_and_the_Making_of_the_American_Century