Kingfish: The Reign of Huey P. Long

Having read a great deal about Huey Long and his relatively short, but significant reign as a Louisiana powerhouse and 'dictator', I did not expect to learn too much more when I purchased Kingfish. However, I found this to be an extremely compelling read, chock full of insight into the behind the scenes actions Long used to get his way and punish his opponents.Under the guise of populism, coupled with the poverty of 1920s and 30s Louisiana and the Great Depression, Long delivered a great deal to the poor of his state (roads, free school books, help to farmers) while at the time lining his own pockets on just about every deal he brokered. Even after election to the U.S. Senate, he retained his governorship until his cronies were in place, and came back to Baton Rouge on a regular basis to control the legislature and demand special sessions to pass his pet bills - all of which were devised to increase his power.The book chronicles Long's incredible powers and his abuse of that power on every page. His vindictiveness toward those who opposed him was in many ways his driving force.At the same time, the book shows a man who was truly in touch with the needs of his rural and poor constituents. Even after leaving for Washington he took that understanding to a national scale with his Share The Wealth idea -- his solution to the Depression through limiting the income of the rich and distributing it to the poor. Long was a Robin Hood without ethics -- a charismatic character whose own early success led to the erosion of his own character.Reading author White's excellently researched book is a study in how power can corrupt, even those who might otherwise have the best interests of the people at heart. Readers unfamiliar with Long will be amazed at the power he quickly amassed, the ineffectiveness of those who opposed his corrupt ways and his grip on the nation during the hardest times the nation every faced.I highly recommend this book to anyone who thinks that today's politics, the gridlock and the greed, are unique to our times. A look at the lifetime of Huey Long could easily be the standard by which all prior and later measures of political power and corruption might be measured. At the same time, it is a study in how a conniving and smart politician can use his/her connection to the needs of the people to pull the wool over the vast majority's eyes.

Huey P. Long is my favorite political figure of all time. Since I read T. Harry Williams' masterful bio of Long, I've tried to read any and everything about Huey that I can get my hands on. When I saw "Kingfish," I scooped it right up. Admittedly, I may be biased because I think Williams' book is the best political biography ever written and may hold Long bios to a very high standard. In the end, after reading through this book pretty fast - it is less than 300 pages - I liked "Kingfish", and would recommend it to anyone interested in learning about Huey but without the time to read Williams' large text. Further, whereas Williams' book is fairly pro-Long, this book is mostly anti-Huey. Nevertheless, it doesn't hold a candle to "Huey Long" by Williams. It isn't even close.The book doesn't spend much attention on Huey's early years (he was born in 1893), and focuses on the period from his successful gubernatorial run in 1928, to his Senate election two years late, to his ascension as a national figure, to his assassination in 1935. In between, it provides delicious detailed stories and tidbits of many of Huey's often unbelievable exploits as he ruthlessly conquered every inch of Louisiana and came close to running for President and perhaps endangering FDR's re-election chances in 1936. Beyond that, the book perfectly captures the political and social mood in the Pelican State in Long's day: the sweltering heat, the unrest and bitter hatred Huey engendered in the elite and ruling classes and the equal love and hope he inspired in the long-ignored rural masses, and of course Long's larger than life persona and even bigger ambitions. I also loved the author's use of all of the classic insults Huey and his enemies hurled at each other that seem to appear on every page ("demagogic screech owl from the swamps of Louisiana")."Kingfish" is a very good book and a quick and fun read for anyone interested in learning about Huey's life and exploits. However, if you want to read a great book, do yourself a favor and buy "Huey Long" by T. Harry Williams. Still, the two books could work well together - as "Kingfish" covers a few areas Williams' book does not - so it might be a good idea to check out "Kingfish" as an appetizer, and move on to "Huey Long" as the main course. You won't be disappointed.

This is the true story of one of the most, if not THE most dangerous man in US history. After he had completed his term as governor, he managed to continue to run the state of Louisiana while a US Senator. I was amazed and shocked at the level of control of all aspects of the government of Louisiana that Long eventually had. If you had any political ambitions in that state the worst thing that could happen to you is for Long to decide you were an enemy. He defined an enemy as anyone who disagreed with or tried to thwart his policies or bills introduced in the legislature. He also had come up with a strategy for winning the 1940 Presidential election that involved engineering FDR losing in 1936. Long by the way was also a lifelong Democrat. It might not have worked but Long and his economic ideas were extremely popular with people hit hard by the Great Depression all over the country not just in his home state. Had he succeeded and had his economic ideas been enacted he would probably have bankrupted the country.

AWESOME

I came across Huey Long in a detective story, Voodoo River, by Robert Crais and he came across as a fascinating character. Having read Kingfish I'm still fascinated. I may go on to read the longer biography by T Harry Williams but I doubt I know enough about politics in general and American politics in particular to judge Huey in his time and context. Long intrigued and horrified me in some ways but I found his early career goals in a positive light. His methods were often amusing and sometimes brutal but there is an impish charm that comes through the narrative. Was he worse than many of his contemporaries? Was he an embryonic Hitler taken out before achieving his evil destiny, probably not but his career is a lesson to voters everywhere to beware.

Hard going but worthwhile the most controversial politician of all time.

What we have here is a well written and very entertaining biography of one of the most frightening men in American political history. Maybe I'm crazy, but I believe that there are lessons to be learned from this book in the age of Donald Trump. Buy this book and see if you don't agree. Or buy it because the story it tells is both fascinating and all but unbelievable. Very highly recommended.

An interesting character, this Huey Long. It occurred to me to wonder when I completed reading the book, was Long any more corrupt and devious than the present day operators of the Democrat Party in the USA? I suspect not given the revelations surrounding the activities of the Clintons over the last 30 years.