Earl K. Long: The Saga of Uncle Earl and Louisiana Politics

by Michael L. Kurtz, Morgan D. Peoples

Overview

In a region famous for its flamboyant politicians, Earl K. Long was one of the most flamboyant of them all. This first full-scale biography of the former Louisiana governor explores his controversial life-style and his strong family ties, his raw humor and his political savvy, his abuse of power and his accomplishments in the areas of civil rights and public services. Michael L. Kurtz and Morgan D. Peoples provide new information from recently declassified FBI files concerning Earl's ties with organized crime figures, give the first comprehensive account of his stays in mental institutions in 1959, and offer factual information about his notorious relationship with the stripper Blaze Star. Based on more than two decades of research in a variety of sources, this important biography fills a serious gap in the history of modern Louisiana politics.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780807154083
Publisher:	Louisiana State University Press
Publication date:	12/01/1991
Series:	Southern Biography Series
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	332
File size:	5 MB

About the Author

Michel L. Kurtz is professor of history at Southeastern Louisiana University. His previous books include Crime of the Century: The Kennedy Assassination from a Historian's Perspective. Morgan D. Peoples is retired professor of history at Louisiana Tech University.

Michel L. Kurtz is professor of history at Southeastern Louisiana University. His previous books include Crime of the Century: The Kennedy Assassination from a Historian's Perspective.
Morgan D. Peoples is retired professor of history at Louisiana Tech University.

Editorial Reviews

Earl was a key figure in his brother ``Kingfish'' Huey Long's rise to power and, after Huey's assassination, launched a notable career of his own, serving as lieutenant governor and three times as governor of Louisiana; he was elected to Congress shortly before his death in 1960. A populist, he instituted hot lunches for schoolchildren and old-age pensions and won generous raises for teachers in his state; he also registered thousands of black voters at a time of Dixiecrat racist agitation. But as Kurtz, history professor at Southeastern Louisiana University, and Peoples, former history professor at Louisiana Tech, show in this balanced and highly readable biography, he continued the spoils system and maintained strong ties to organized crime. The authors conclude, nevertheless, that the charismatic Long was remarkably effective for his time and place. Photos not seen by PW. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Huey Long's flamboyant career in Louisiana and national politics has been examined by numerous scholars, most notably by T. Harry Williams in his Pulitzer Prize-winning biography Huey Long ( LJ 9/15/69). But Long's brother, three-time Louisiana governor Earl Long, has not received the same attention, although Earl was the dominant figure in the state's politics for almost 25 years. Historians Kurtz and Peoples have partially corrected this deficiency with the first comprehensive biography of Earl by academicians. Its primary (and controversial) contributions to current knowledge about Long are material on Long's ties with organized crime taken from FBI files; an analysis of Long's efforts to protect black voting rights; and evidence that Long suffered from manic depression. This is a necessary book for all libraries with collections on Southern politics, and the recent movie Blaze may also generate interest for this book among general readers.-- Thomas H. Ferrell, Univ. of Southwestern Louisiana, Lafayette

Library Journal

Paperbound reprint of the 1990 release. A non-sensationalistic and balanced biography of the Louisiana populist from his early years on the family farm to his role in the rise to power of his brother Huey, to his own career as governor, and finally to his death in 1960, at the age of 65. The chapter on politics of race photographs. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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