J. Edgar Hoover the Father of the Cold War

Abstract

This updated edition examines Hoover's career in detail, and looks at his role in the development of the Cold War against Communism. With considerable detail and an excellent selection of photographs, Kiel traces Hoover's anti-communism to his earliest experiences, during WW I. Well- documented and thought provoking, this study looks at the connections between Hoover, Lyndon Johnson, the assassination of President John Kennedy, and the escalation of the Vietnam War. In Kiel's updated New Conclusion (2025), the author adds new photographs of a number of witnesses to JFK's assassination that Kiel has interviewed, new information relating to the recent release of the JFK files as well as a number of other important topics. These topics include: New Research on Mr. Hoover, A Closer Look at Hoover's Connections With Organized Crime, Lyndon Johnson and Bobby Baker, Jack Ruby Revisited, Lee Oswald an FBI/CIA Informant, The 6th Floor of the Book Depository--Who Was Actually There?, The Zapruder Film, The Changes in JFK's Motorcade and Protection, Lee Bowers - Was he the Most Important Witness?, Looking Back at the ARRB and the CIA, Attempts to tie up Loose Ends, and Final Thoughts on the Legacy of President John F. Kennedy.

REVIEWS and WORDS OF PRAISE

R. Andrew Kiel's study of J. Edgar Hoover and his near half-century as Director of the FBI is as exciting as a good crime novel.... Kiel has assembled here a compelling narrative without the least display of sensationalism or sacrifice of rigorous academic standards. What he shows us is that Hoover our nation's principal lawman, was critically involved in the concealment of the truth about the assassination.... Kiel's book is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the Cold War as a whole.... As Kiel's monumental update of the case makes powerfully clear, the JFK assassination is the most important single event since the end of WW2. Until we know who did it and why J. Edgar Hoover killed the investigation, our belief that we are a self- governing people belongs with our faith in the tooth fairy.
--Carl Oglesby, Author and Historian

I find the book compelling in it's argument that the FBI chief sired the Cold War...putting the hat on Hoover and LBJ for their collaboration in covering up the JFK assassination is masterfully done. They used the excuse that Oswald had to be portrayed as the lone and unaided assassin in order to not provoke a crisis with the Soviet Union and Cuba...your book is an invaluable research tool, must reading for anyone wishing to understand the origins and maintenance of the Cold War.
--William Turner. Author and Former FBI Agent

Truly enjoyed every minute of reading your book. You did a magnificent job in setting forth the facts, as you were able to put them together...what your book told me was that the agents did their work. Yet it never went any further than that. The whole Warren Commission and it's report is a total joke and your book proves it....There's no question that Hoover and Johnson did all they could to screw up the investigation. I lost what respect I had for them after reading the facts you presented.
--Don Adams. Author and Former FBI Agent

About the Author

R. Andrew Kiel earned a master's degree in US History from the University of Akron, and has taught US History at the University of Akron, as an adjunct professor. He has also taught Advanced Placement US History and International Baccalaureate Economics and Business for twenty years. The author has made numerous presentations across the US relating to this book over the past 25 years, including in Dallas, on the 50th anniversary of President Kennedy's assassination.