The Director: My Years Assisting J. Edgar Hoover

by Paul Letersky, Gordon L. Dillow (Primary Contributor)

The first book ever written about FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover by a member of his personal staff—his former assistant, Paul Letersky—offers unprecedented, “clear-eyed and compelling” (Mark Olshaker, coauthor of Mindhunter ) insight into an American legend.

The 1960s and 1970s were arguably among America’s most turbulent post-Civil War decades. While the Vietnam War continued seemingly without end, protests and riots ravaged most cities, the Kennedys and MLK were assassinated, and corruption found its way to the highest levels of politics, culminating in Watergate.

In 1965, at the beginning of the chaos, twenty-two-year-old Paul Letersky was assigned to assist the legendary FBI director J. Edgar Hoover who’d just turned seventy and had, by then, led the Bureau for an incredible forty-one years. Hoover was a rare and complex man who walked confidently among the most powerful. His personal privacy was more tightly guarded than the secret “files” he carefully collected—and that were so feared by politicians and celebrities. Through Letersky’s close working relationship with Hoover, and the trust and confidence he gained from Hoover’s most loyal senior assistant, Helen Gandy, Paul became one of the few able to enter the Director’s secretive—and sometimes perilous—world.

Since Hoover’s death half a century ago, millions of words have been written about the man and hundreds of hours of TV dramas and A-list Hollywood films produced. But until now, there has been virtually no account from someone who, for a period of years, spent hours with the Director on a daily basis.

Balanced, honest, and keenly observed, this “ vivid, foibles-and-all portrait of the fabled scourge of gangsters, Klansmen, and communists” ( The Wall Street Journal ) sheds new light on one of the most powerful law enforcement figures in American history.

Genres: History, Biography, Nonfiction, Politics, American History, Memoir, Crime

320 pages, Hardcover

First published July 13, 2021

Reviews

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

"I knew that my time in the Director's office had fundamentally changed my life . . . It was a unique opportunity - and yes, an honor - to have worked for this strange, enigmatic, difficult, inexplicable, and remarkable man." -- the author, page 140

Letersky's The Director was, I thought, both a remarkably even-handed examination of J. Edgar Hoover's final years as the longstanding director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation AND also a workplace memoir of sorts. Letersky - jokingly nicknamed 'the Polish Prince' by some of his agency colleagues - signed on with the law enforcement organization after graduating from college in 1965, and from 1966 to 1968 he served as a file / records clerk (an entry-level position formerly used as a stepping stone to becoming a special agent) at Hoover's office in the FBI's Washington D.C.-based headquarters. The first half of the book concentrates more on his years with Hoover (whom he often refers to as simply 'The Director'), while the latter sections detail his various experiences as a special agent in the Cincinnati, Ohio and Alexandria, Virginia field offices from 1968 to 1973. He covers both of these perspectives very well in a personable and direct writing style, and it was extremely informative about the agency's inner workings (along with clearing up some Hoover and/or FBI myths or misconceptions, without quite being an apologist) and that turbulent period in American history. Perhaps the best segments - or maybe they were just my favorite moments - were Letersky's interactions with the dedicated Miss Helen Gandy, who served as Hoover's personal secretary for an astounding 54 years. She was apparently equals parts pleasant, gentle, and polite . . . with a core of pure cold steel. A fascinating person in her own right, arguably Miss Gandy deserves a book about her years with the director, and the information (secrets?) she took with her to the grave.

[Alana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up on a whim because I’ve always loved spy stories but I honestly expected it to be a little dry. It turns out that Letersky is an excellent writer and the book was captivating. The audiobook’s narrator had a fabulously gravelly voice that seemed appropriate for an FBI Special Agent. Letersky’s stories and observations about J. Edgar Hoover were fascinating but it was his friendship with Miss Gandy that brought the heart to the story. Hoover is a controversial figure but Letersky provides a balanced and contextualized look at him. I really enjoyed the insight into this slice of history.

Thank you to @simon.audio for this review copy. The opinions are my own.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I completely devoured this memoir in one sitting courtesy of NetGalley.

The Director: My Years Assisting J. Edgar Hoover by Paul Letersky completely drew me in from the first sentence--nobody cried at his funeral. Peter Letersky, a former FBI Agent, details his early days as an FBI desk assistant giving glorified tours to the public, essentially writing Hoover's replies to fan mail and doing basically whatever grunt work is asked of him when he gets promoted to working directly for Hoover.

I'm a huge fan of memoirs that tell us how the sausage is made or give a little inside baseball, and this is exactly that for those who are curious about what it was like to work for the FBI toward the end of its glory days as well as in the turbulent, culture shift from the 1950s to 1970s.

There are lots of intriguing anecdotes about Letersky's daily interactions with Hoover, his early days as a desk jockey as well as his eventual field work as a special agent. By far my favorite "character" lurking in these pages was Helen Gandy, a totally unknown female historical figure--and the highest ranked (G-17) and highest paid woman ever at a government agency--that I was very pleased to learn about. It made me want to dig deeper into her life as well.

For me this was a total page turner--informative and engrossing.

[WM D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Director was a good book. It examines the history of j . Edgar Hoover and what it meant to work with him

[Mickey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like most readers, I'm sure I had or even still have an opinion concerning J. Edgar Hoover, either good or bad. Reading this biography did not change that opinion of the man however, it did correct a few of my misconceptions. Paul Letersky chronicles his association with Hoover from when it began in the '60's, to the Director's death in the 1970's. The POV is clearly that of someone who admired the subject being discussed, even though Mr. Letersky attempts to juxtapose the positive with occasional criticisms as well. For that reason, I recommend this book to anyone interested in increasing their knowledge of U.S. history and one of the people who influenced it.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley for an honest and unbiased review.

[Kim Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable, enlightening and factual account of the author’s personal experiences working for the FBI in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, in particular his direct and/or nearly firsthand knowledge of working under J.Edgar Hoover. Particularly well told story as the author weaves in the societal changes, political machinations, and national security issues of that time, set amongst his own personal stories of working for the FBI. Very enjoyable!

[AnnieM · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was intrigued by this book because the author worked closely with J. Edgar Hoover. The first part of the book explores what it was like to work within the FBI in headquarters and later he describes his work in field offices including in Hijacking cases. Fascinating read! I felt like I had a good inside view of the inner workings of the FBI as well as relationships with the Presidents and Attorney Generals. In general, Letersky tries to paint a balanced view and is clearly biased in favor of J. Edgar Hoover. Some of what he says I take with a grain of salt about how he depicts "the bad guys" but he does talk about some of the arrests he had to make that he did not feel comfortable with so that helped convince me that he was not just touting the party line. In general, this was a very interesting read and I definitely learned new things about J. Edgar Hoover's personality as well as others.

[Julie Rothenfluh · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Rounded up from a 2.8) I was expecting more of a look at Mr. Hoover but, while the author was an FBI agent for 8 years, he only worked in the director’s office for 2 years and had little direct contact with Hoover. This is mostly a quick overview of the author’s career and his friendship with Hoover’s secretary, Miss Gandy.

I found Letersky to be somewhat of an apologist for Hoover (yes some of the things he did were wrong, but he acted on presidential orders or in the interest of The Bureau, etc.).

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting--an opposing view to the way J. Edgar Hoover is viewed today.

[R Vacko · Rating 3 out of 5]

About half the book is about the author working for Hoover. This makes sense as the author only worked with him for two years. It was a bright, quick read…nothing earth-shattering.

[Todd Kiger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Paul Letersky’s book, “The Director” was very interesting and well written. The author did a very solid job in explaining his time in the FBI and working closely with J. Edgar Hoover. I found some of the inter-workings of the FBI to be insightful and interesting. Letersky wrote the book in a manner to hold the reader’s interest. You have to be careful with historical type books that they don’t drag and you don’t have to sludge through it. The author did an excellent job holding my interest.

I did get the feeling the book was a bit as pro-FBI and pro-Hoover. I wasn’t sure I was getting the full story on Hoover’s FBI. Letersky does give the reader enough dirty tactics that there is the appearance of objectivity. Maybe it was 100% on the level? I just didn’t get that feeling.

Having said that, Hoover was the right man for the job and America was probably better off with him at the helm. The only reason I ranked the book at three stars was the feeling of lack of objectivity. It really is a good read.

[Randal White · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy to read, intriguing look into J Edgar Hoover. Told by a former FBI agent who was just beginning his career, when he was assigned as basically an office assistant to Hoover's DC office. There he witnessed the intrigues, the maneuvering, the strategies, and the conspiracies that Hoover employed and was subject to.
Letersky manages to make Hoover a much more human character than I was used to, full of good points and bad. Capable of instilling an almost god-like aura from those who worked for him.
I enjoyed the insights into Hoover's life, as well as the political jockeying from those who were around him. Despite the excesses Hoover might have participated in, I think that we were lucky to have him as a steady hand through some of our country's most confusing times.
I found the book hard to put down.

[LJ Lombos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh boy, this has got to be one of those memoirs casting a deeply controversial figure in a rather different light. Letersky’s refreshingly unapologetic admiring the traits of J. Edgar Hoover that made him ruthlessly efficient in running the FBI. But he also pulled no punches decrying attributes of the person he once closely worked for that ultimately shaped how the public sees the Bureau. Best parts were when he’d dispel rumors and conspiracies that continue to plague the FBI and its former head honcho. I was somehow expecting Letersky would go deeper into how Hoover’s consequential tenure played a role in modern US domestic intelligence. Instead, I was treated with an evenhanded and captivating insider look of the man who once helmed America’s top law enforcement agency.

[Peter Ackerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Director: My Years Assisting J. Edgar Hoover by Paul Letersky is a wholly fascinating read. The author, a former FBI Agent, recounts his early days when he worked in the Director’s Office, in Washington D.C., during Hoover’s later years as the head of the organization.

The author comes out right in the beginning and lets the reader know that this is not going to be one of the many works about Hoover based on rumor and supposition. Instead, he provides the reader with what it was like, from the perspective of one of the few who worked in the outer office and encountered his boss daily.

The first third of the autobiography is strong. The author recounts how he fell in love with agency and was called to serve within. Throughout this portion of the book, there are plenty of interesting anecdotes, many of them having to with his observations each day in the office. With the opening strong, I was not surprised to see the middle portion of the work lag just a bit. As soon as Mr. Letersky leaves Hoover’s office, the reader gets a look at what it was like for him in the field, with more interesting recounting, but of course these lack direct insight to Hoover. Still, it all comes together in the final section. Paul is called back to the Office to serve as a companion at the funeral to Hoover’s secretary. This leads to more of his firsthand observations, and insights.

For those who are interested in the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover, the ways of D.C. in the 1970’s, there is plenty of interest here. Though the read slowed a bit for me in the middle, as described above, I still found it an engaging page turner.

[R G · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not an attempt at an objective historical work or biography, but memoir of the author's early years at the FBI. I found it very interesting on that basis. There are many interesting stories about Hoover and how the FBI worked in the late 60's and early 70's. I learned a lot that I would not have learned from a traditional Hoover biography. The author is quite transparent about his biases and background, which I appreciated.

[Karol K · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book and learning the process to become an FBI agent. It is nice to learn the real story about Hoover. The author's writing was very easy to read.

I cracked up when I read about their practice of holding their ID right up high about your eyeballs. I experienced that phenomenon back in the 70's and yes that is intimidating. I recommend this book if you are at all curious about the agency.

[Mitch · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first half of the book was quite interesting and gave the author’s account of working for The Director. The second half of the book, after the author was assigned to field offices, focused less on Hoover and more on the author’s personal career. A very interesting read and the author attempted to debunk the rumors that have circulated about Hoover. I recommend for those looking for what appears to be an honest review of Hoover and his FBI.

[Austin Caleb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first became interested in Hoover while in high school after seeing the film "J. Edgar" (a nice, aesthetically pleasing movie with historically questionable assertions). It was Hoover's obsession with secrets that fascinated me, which comes as no surprise now since it resonated with my own deeply secretive sexuality -- one that Hoover may or may not have shared. Marginal note to those who are curious: if you want speculation about Hoover's sex life, this is not the book you seek. I almost respect Letersky's more guarded approach here because it means that he isn't moving hastily into conclusions about a personal life that even he could not fully understand, and this from a man who sat in a seat of high honor at Hoover's funeral (Leterskey say in between Helen Gandy and Clyde Tolson). Letersky leaves Hoover entombed with his secrets, at least those that he can't answer with confidence.

Highly readable, "The Director" is unique among the medium-sized stack of Hoover biographies because Letersky is the only biographer who worked personally with Hoover and secretary Helen Gandy in the DC executive suite. Beyond his connection to "the Director," Letersky unveils Hoover's person, addressing myth, ignored history, and eccentricity. While acknowledging Hoover's awful faults, he also resists the idea that Hoover's FBI was "some kind of Orwellian monster" -- a disputable claim. However, he does show the forgotten Hoover. I think now of his opposition to FDR's lamentable decision to imprison Japanese Americans. Hoover condemned it (When did I ever learn that?). And, questionable as his motives often were, he did ultimately reject Nixon's desperate request for that extra surveillance, which later rid the country of the Tricky Dick administration.

This doesn't make Hoover a hero. His resistance to social progress in this country is well-known, though sometimes overstated (Letersky). Hoover's legacy did leave the American justice system deeply tainted with problems that we still face. Sharing this complaint, Letersky still asks: where would we be without Hoover?

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this account of the FBI under J Edgar Hoover. Not really knowing much about this but knowing about the times during which Hoover was director I found fascination with how things were done and why and am proud of our government historically.

[Peter Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting and Honest account

Great read. All I knew about J.E Hoover was from a PBS documentary I watched many years ago. This was much more interesting, factual, and hard to put down. Great book.

[Paul Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super balanced view of Hoover from a person who interned essentially under him in the late 60's. An iconic figure of history, certainly dedicated to the US and the Bureau, but the story is a reminder that NO person should stay in the same role for too long, let alone decades.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an easy read. I felt the last chapter was the best as it gave me more information on Hoover and how he worked. The other chapters were long on gossip rather than information on Hoover and the FBI operations.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 This is a well-written book. The author provides many insights regarding Hoover and the FBI. Few, if any, people knew Hoover intimately. There were some surprises regarding him and a few other people--presidents, etc. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

An honest look at the F.B.I. under. J Edgar Hoover. Paul Letersky was there as his assistant and a former Special Agent. It’s a rare glimpse into a storied man

[Ezra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it and made me want to read more!

[Keith Haley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great info on FBI works and cultural. Not enough bio. of Hoover. It is still a great read

[Thomas Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed it, a lot of first person perspective about a complex and interesting character (hoover), and an amazing breakdown of the FBIs history and role.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Blair · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you keep secret files make sure your secretary is a Ride or Die!

[Marge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most interesting read about the workings of the FBI under Hoover. He was a total autocrat. In his time it was necessary but his days were numbered in the end,