Herbert Hoover led one of the most fascinating lives of an America in the twentieth century. Orphaned as a young boy he would graduate from Stanford University, build a fortune as a mining engineer, and become the most accomplished humanitarian of his era. His complex personality led many to view him as aloof and uncaring, though ironically through his extreme generosity he helped feed millions of starving Europeans during two World Wars. After a brilliant career as Secretary of Commerce he became president of the United States in 1928 which was at the high point of America’s prosperity. Less than one year into his term, he was caught up in the economic maelstrom that put the stock market in free-fall and opened the first chapter of what would become the Great Depression. Hoover’s approach to solving the nation’s problems was to build a cooperative alliance between government and the business sector rather than rely solely on government largess. Though he came into the presidency in a time of exuberance, he would leave the office under a dark cloud of rejection and defeat. This is the story of man who through his sheer force of will rose to be one of the most accomplished figures in the land during the twentieth century.

The book “Herbert Hoover: A Short Biography” gives a concise look at the life and times of the former president of the United States. To illustrate the story there are numerous pictures of the people, places, and events that were part of this man’s fascinating life. In addition the book contains: a list of reference books for further reading, a timeline of President Hoover that puts the events of his life and that period of history in sequence, and a section that contains short biographical sketches of the key individuals in the book.