Huey Long (biography)

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Huey Long (1969) is a biography of Louisiana Governor and US Senator Huey Long written by historian .[1] The work was well received, winning a Pulitzer Prize and a National Book Award.

Writing[]

Williams spent 12 years writing and researching Huey Long in order to write the 896-page work.[2][1] Due to the lack of documents regarding Long, Williams collected oral history. Beginning in 1955, Williams interviewed those who had known Long.[1] He outlined his work in a 1959 address to the Southern Historical Association.[3]

The work is sympathetic to Long, painting him as a tragic figure and emphasizing his leftist leanings over fascist tendencies. According to Kirkus Reviews, Williams "made pretty darn sure that his is going to be the definitive biography of Long."[1] Williams reportedly regarding Huey Long as "the ultimate writing endeavor of his life."[3]

Critical reception[]

The work was a popular bestseller and well-received by critics.[3] In addition to garnering Williams the National Book Award for History and Biography,[4] the work won the 1970 Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography.[5]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d "Huey Long". Kirkus Reviews. Archived from the original on December 24, 2020. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
  2. ^ Goodman Jr., George (July 7, 1979). "T. Harry Williams, scholar, Dies; Huey Long Book Won a Pulitzer". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 9, 2020. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
  3. ^ a b c "T. Harry Williams: A Remembrance". VQR. Autumn 2000. Archived from the original on February 25, 2012. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
  4. ^ "Huey Long". National Book Foundation. Archived from the original on November 30, 2020. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
  5. ^ "Huey Long, by T. Harry Williams (Knopf)". The Pulitzer Prizes. Archived from the original on January 11, 2021. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
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