THE HERBERT HOOVER STORY

Herbert Hoover is not the villainous figure he was to the children of twenty or thirty years ago. Almost silently, he submitted to the vilification that followed the election of 1932, trusting to history to save his good name. Although much of the emotion at the mere mention of Hoover has dissipated, he is still the least known of the modern American presidents. The author, who did so well by Woodrow Wilson (1963- p. 369-J-135) has another subject of humanitarian appeal in Hoover. Her handling of the political aspects of his career is neither so sure nor balanced, but the years leading up to his presidency are well done. This was the sort of man the idealistic young respond to -- clean living, high thinking, hard working. His engineering career took him into old China and outback Down Under and these years have more adventure than Hoover's name usually evokes. He was never greater than he was during the WWI crisis in food when he insisted that the enemies' children be fed too by the relief agency he administered. Well done.