The Kingfish and His Realm: The Life and Times of Huey P. Long

Baton Rouge, Louisana: Louisiana State University Press, 1991. K5 - A first edition (First printing stated with complete numberline) hardcover book SIGNED and inscribed by William Ivy Hair to previous owner on the front free endpaper in very good condition in very good dust jacket that is mylar protected. Dust jacket has wrinkling and crease on the edges and corners, wrinkled patch on the front and lower part of the front and back, scattered light scratches, rubbing and scuffing, light tanning and shelf wear. Book has some bumped corners, wrinkling on the spine edges, some scattered light stains and soiled patchs on the page edges, lightly bumped on the corners opposite the spine of the inside pages, light discoloration and shelf wear. Winner of the Jules and Frances Landry Award for 1991. 9.5"x6.5", 406 pages. Satisfaction Guaranteed. Born in rural Winn Parish, Louisiana, Huey P. Long grew up to become the most influential governor the state of Louisiana has ever known. Indeed, he commanded a power base that ultimately made him virtual dictator of his home state. The story of Long's remarkable life, from this turn-of-the-century upbringing to his death at the hands of an assassin in 1935, fascinates students of Louisiana politics still. In The Kingfish and His Realm, William Ivy Hair carefully sets Long and his regime in the context of the history of Louisiana and the South. He provides both a new biography of Long and a throughgoing treatment of his social, political, and economic environment in light of the latest scholarship. The result is a view of Huey Long that dispels many of the myths that have surrounded him and also challenges T. Harry Williams' influential interpretation. Hair emphasizes Huey's darker side, portraying him as a gifted, charismatic leader who craved power above all else - the more of it the better. From childhood, Long believed that he could become president of the United States, and almost all of his actions were taken with hat goal in mind. By the early 1930s, he thought the presidency was within reach. The book's detailed and convincing picture of Louisiana as an impoverished, underdeveloped state rife with complex social and class-based tensions goes far toward explaining how this ruthless, supremely energetic, power-hungry man was able to realize such grand political dreams at so young an age. When the forty-two-year-old Long was gunned down on September 8, 1935, it ended his drive for the White House but not his influence in Louisiana. Even today, more than half a century after his death, when political pundits no longer speak in terms of Longs and anti-Longs, Huey remains a larger-than-life icon in the state - and the most controversial character in its colorful history. The Kingfish and His Realm may not end the controversy, but it does significantly enrich our understanding of Huey Long and his world.. Signed by Author. First Edition. Hardcover. Very Good/Very Good. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.