In His Own Words is a scholarly work with a nod toward true crime lovers. The references are impeccable, covering a wide range of Hoover’s career. Even the author’s notes, which are often glanced over by readers, are helpful in sorting out this work about a past American icon; focusing on his humanity.

This book offers two advantages over all previous works on Hoover and the FBI. Initially it is the most comprehensive and least biased of the extant literature. All previous treatments of this topic support one of two unidimensional stereotypical perspectives or myths, the God Myth and the Devil Myth. The God Myth asserted that Hoover and the FBI were virtually perfect, with chapters focusing on Hoover’s flawless personal life and personality, his optimal directorship over the FBI, and the perfection of the FBI itself. This myth was created by a sophisticated public relation campaign that began in the 1920s and lasted until his death. A second myth or counter-myth, the Devil Myth, arose spontaneously in response to the God Myth. Chapters describe Hoover’s diabolical character and personality, his suboptimal leadership of the Bureau, and the ineffectiveness of the FBI. Therefore both supporters of Hoover and the FBI and critics will see their opinions fairly represented and documented.

The most important virtue of this book results from the extensive use of declassified internal FBI documents. A rhetorical perspective on Hoover results from careful analysis of his handwritten comments on FBI memos, called “four-baggers” within the FBI and marginalia by scholars. The real, unvarnished Hoover emerges from his sometimes acerbic and sometimes professional remarks scrawled in the margins of these documents. These comments are of considerable significance, because this is how Hoover communicated his policy desires to subordinates and directed the actions of the FBI. Copies of numerous FBI memos containing his four-baggers are included for the reader’s perusal. For this reason this book is the least biased and most objective and useful book on Hoover and Hoover’s FBI.