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Earl K Long: The Saga of Uncle Earl and Louisiana Politics
Traces the life of the controversial Louisiana governor, and assesses the accomplishments of his administration
344 pages, Hardcover
First published February 1, 1990
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 26, 2018
When I was a lad I remember seeing the newspaper and television accounts of how his family was
trying to put the Governor of Louisiana in a mental asylum because Governor Earl K. Long had his
train slip off the tracks. I knew little of the Long family of Louisiana or of brothers Huey and Earl
and the rest. Michael L. Kurtz's book gives Earl his proper perspective and place in Louisiana and
American history.
Earl was born in 1895 two years younger that his brother Huey who built the famous Long machine
in Louisiana and was showing national ambitions when he was assassinated in September of 1935.
Earl was one of many of the cogs of the machine that had to undergo quite an adjustment when Huey
was no longer at the helm. In fact many of said associates went to jail because of various corruption
charges including Governor Richard Leche. When Leche went to prison after resigning Lieutenant
Governor Earl Long became Governor for the first of three times in 1939.
The paradox of Louisiana politics in those one party years. The Longs were corrupt as all get out
with a tendency toward dictatorship. They also did a lot for the ordinary people and that included
every so often black people though they never challenged seriously the South's segregationist social order. The opposition were fine upstanding moral reformers who wanted to make sure government was efficiently run for special interests and were rabid segregationists.
Earl became Governor again in 1948 and the crunch for him came when he did not bolt the party and support States Rights candidate J. Strom Thurmond, but stayed loyal to Harry Truman who ran
on a civil rights platform. Though Earl could be a crude cuss and occasionally spout an "N" word
in his conversation he also quietly tried to get blacks enrolled as voters in Louisiana seeing this was
an inevitable future. Something he stayed with right through his last controversial term as Governor which began in 1956
Long according to our author suffered a series of small strokes that left him impaired which was the reason for his celebrated rant to the Louisiana legislature that became national news. After
that the tabloid press covered Earl Long in a way they never had during his healthier days.
The movie Blaze which starred Paul Newman and Lolita Davidovitch tells part, but only part of the
story. Despite health issues Earl was a frisky one at his age, still his wife Blanche who was from
old Louisiana society is left out of the film. The Longs had no children and her concern for her
husband was quite real. It's a good film, but it only tells part of the story.
As Paul Harvey used to say, for the rest of the story read this book.
trying to put the Governor of Louisiana in a mental asylum because Governor Earl K. Long had his
train slip off the tracks. I knew little of the Long family of Louisiana or of brothers Huey and Earl
and the rest. Michael L. Kurtz's book gives Earl his proper perspective and place in Louisiana and
American history.
Earl was born in 1895 two years younger that his brother Huey who built the famous Long machine
in Louisiana and was showing national ambitions when he was assassinated in September of 1935.
Earl was one of many of the cogs of the machine that had to undergo quite an adjustment when Huey
was no longer at the helm. In fact many of said associates went to jail because of various corruption
charges including Governor Richard Leche. When Leche went to prison after resigning Lieutenant
Governor Earl Long became Governor for the first of three times in 1939.
The paradox of Louisiana politics in those one party years. The Longs were corrupt as all get out
with a tendency toward dictatorship. They also did a lot for the ordinary people and that included
every so often black people though they never challenged seriously the South's segregationist social order. The opposition were fine upstanding moral reformers who wanted to make sure government was efficiently run for special interests and were rabid segregationists.
Earl became Governor again in 1948 and the crunch for him came when he did not bolt the party and support States Rights candidate J. Strom Thurmond, but stayed loyal to Harry Truman who ran
on a civil rights platform. Though Earl could be a crude cuss and occasionally spout an "N" word
in his conversation he also quietly tried to get blacks enrolled as voters in Louisiana seeing this was
an inevitable future. Something he stayed with right through his last controversial term as Governor which began in 1956
Long according to our author suffered a series of small strokes that left him impaired which was the reason for his celebrated rant to the Louisiana legislature that became national news. After
that the tabloid press covered Earl Long in a way they never had during his healthier days.
The movie Blaze which starred Paul Newman and Lolita Davidovitch tells part, but only part of the
story. Despite health issues Earl was a frisky one at his age, still his wife Blanche who was from
old Louisiana society is left out of the film. The Longs had no children and her concern for her
husband was quite real. It's a good film, but it only tells part of the story.
As Paul Harvey used to say, for the rest of the story read this book.
July 30, 2014
The rise and fall of Huey's little brother Earl. He politicked himself to death, literally.
Was he mad before his life of politics, or did politics drive him mad? That question is never answered to my satisfaction.
The last chapter discusses the medical implications resulting in his illness and death, and postists that Earl was bi-polar (which could explain some of his "wild" or "eccentric" behavior). He certainly was something the people of LA never saw before...or since...
Was he mad before his life of politics, or did politics drive him mad? That question is never answered to my satisfaction.
The last chapter discusses the medical implications resulting in his illness and death, and postists that Earl was bi-polar (which could explain some of his "wild" or "eccentric" behavior). He certainly was something the people of LA never saw before...or since...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews