My First Days in the White House

by Huey Long

Written by Huey P. Long and originally published posthumously after Huey P. Long's assassination in 1935.

Genres: Politics, History

112 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1972

About the author

American politician who served as the 40th Governor of Louisiana from 1928 to 1932 and as a member of the United States Senate from 1932 until his assassination in 1935.

A Democrat, he was an outspoken populist who denounced the rich and the banks and called for "Share the Wealth." Long is best known for his Share Our Wealth program, created in 1934 under the motto "Every Man a King." It proposed new wealth redistribution measures in the form of a net asset tax on corporations and individuals to curb the poverty and homelessness endemic nationwide during the Great Depression.

As the political boss of the state he commanded wide networks of supporters and was willing to take forceful action. He established the political prominence of the Long political family.

Reviews

[Preacher · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating book, I agree with ALL of the things Long wanted to do had he become president.

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A riot. Virtually the entire book is Long calling up the noted leaders of the day (or inviting them into the Oval Office) and verbally humiliating them in exquisite, painful detail. His conversation with the Mayo Brothers, where he orders them to immediately quit their work in Rochester and found a national health laboratory, or with FDR, who is demoted to Secretary of the Navy, will have you doubled over in laughter, if you're the sort of person that finds that sort of thing funny. I am.

[Mark Greenbaum · Rating 4 out of 5]

Over 80 years old, this is a strange book. We read it today like a joke, not just because we know the Kingfish died before it was published, but because history has assigned him villain status, and the idea of him as President is therefore unacceptable. What to make of it? Was this an inside joke? Or was Huey dead serious, this book written with a clear purpose? The closest analogy I can think of to this is a comic book, with Huey Long the hero, and all of the rich and powerful standing in his way the anti-heroes. The direct simplicity of the prose and the ease with which he dispatches his foes would have been chum for the downtrodden who gravitated to the Kingfish -- this was written for them as he prepared a White House run. We see Long today as a dictator, but he saw himself as a problem-solver, and the idea that he could bend the most powerful men in America to his whim with such ease would not have been outlandish to him: he did the same thing in Louisiana.

[Daria · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you know your history this book is a hoot! It's pretty much just a self insert fan-fiction from a serious ego. Throughout his fantastic journey, Long talks political rivals over to his side, disarms a rebelling American state by intimidating its governor, and receives the accolades of an adoring public.
My only complaint is that Long doesn't go into much detail about foreign policy. I would have loved a scene where Long talked Hitler out of remilitarizing the Rhineland over morning tea.

[Nate Myers · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my favorite kind of vanity project, the one where you agree with everything the central character is saying.

I love how smoothly everything happens lmao, like even the multimillionaires are like “Ok Huey you’ve convinced me that giving up most of my fortune is a good idea” after talking with him for 5 min

[Tony Eller · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a dream come true for every child..Poverty Eliminated!

The 3 richest Americans holds more wealth than the bottom 50%
Something is terribly wrong. Thank you Huey P Long

[Bobby Daugherty]

Huey Long's plan for his assumption of the office of President of the United States.

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this 5 years ago and gave it two stars but now think I gave it two stars because of how much I hated the authors thoughts . The book was ok as it showed just what a anti democratic person he was. He was a number one jerk. I had thought he had done some good things in La. when he was governor and even tolerated how he got them done. But this book made me see him in with a clearer vision.