a life Jeansonne, Glen 1946- creator Luhrssen,David 1960- text bibliography biography nyu 2016 monographic eng

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455 pages : ill ; 24 cm. "Prizewinning historian Glen Jeansonne delves into the life of our most misunderstood president, offering up a surprising new portrait of Herbert Hoover--dismissing previous assumptions and revealing a political Progressive in the mold of Theodore Roosevelt, and the most resourceful American since Benjamin Franklin. Orphaned at an early age and raised with strict Quaker values, Hoover earned his way through Stanford University. His hardworking ethic drove him to a successful career as an engineer and multinational businessman. During the Great War, he led a humanitarian effort that fed millions of Europeans left destitute--arguably saving more lives than any man in history. As commerce secretary under President Coolidge, Hoover helped modernize and galvanize American industry and orchestrated the rehabilitation of the Mississippi Valley after the Great Flood of 1927. As president, Herbert Hoover became the first chief executive to harness federal power to combat a crippling global recession. Though Hoover is often remembered as a "do-nothing" president, Jeansonne convincingly portrays a steadfast leader who challenged Congress on an array of legislation that laid the groundwork for the New Deal. In addition, Hoover reformed America's prisons, improved worker safety, and fought for better health and welfare for children. Unfairly attacked by Franklin D. Roosevelt and blamed for the Depression, Hoover was swept out of office in a landslide. Yet as FDR's government grew into a bureaucratic behemoth, Hoover became the moral voice of the GOP and a champion of Republican principles--a legacy reignited by Ronald Reagan that still endures today."--Jacket Glen Jeansonne, with David Luhrssen. Includes bibliographical references and index. n-us--- Hoover, Herbert 1874-1964 Presidents United States Biography Presidentes Estados Unidos Biografía United States Politics and government 1929-1933 United States Politics and government 1919-1933 002 E 802 H789G 2016 973.91/6092 B Jeansonne, Glen, 1946- author. New York, New York : New American Library, 2016 (DLC) 2016006468 9781101991008 2016005097 DLC 050523 20231002141133.0 18967306 eng