The Life of Herbert Hoover: The Engineer, 1874-1914

In the first volume of his epic biography of Herbert Hoover, George Nash relates the story of how a poor orphan from Iowa went on to become one of the leading engineers in the world whose life was a great adventure. Nash guides the reader through Hoover's formative years in Iowa and Oregon as well as his college days at Sanford. Then the adventure really begins as Hoover bounces around the world-Nevada, Australia, China during the Boxer Rebellion, London, Russia, Siam. He deals with corrupt officials, embezzlers, professors, dreams of owning a newspaper and moving back to San Francisco. Political buffs be warned-there is not much on politics here since Hoover was abroad for a good deal of his life. Nash is able to show the human side of Hoover in some chapters on his personal and family life and showing how the man was an excellent businessman and administrator. But Nash also shows the flaws in Hoover which would make his presidency such an ordeal for him-and the nation. The book concludes with the Great War about to begin and Hoover about to lead the Belgian relief effort. There are some minor flaws and quibbles of course; Nash could have done more with Lou Henry Hoover who was a remarkable woman in her own right and he seems to downplay how the Quaker faith shaped Hoover. Despite these flaws, this is a jewel of a biography. Reading this volume, the reader understands that Hoover had a background unlike any other American president, for good and for ill.