Reviews for Nineteenth report of the Standing Advisory Commission on Human Rights

The average rating for Nineteenth report of the Standing Advisory Commission on Human Rights based on 2 reviews is 3 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2017-01-03 00:00:00 Carey Drew The first volume of Nash's extensive biography is a thoroughly researched portrait of Hoover's life before he came a public figure - a private life that is no less interesting than the later "public" years, as he was one of the leading international business figures of the time. With endeavors reaching across Australia, Burma, China, and North America, Hoover's extensive travels and experience in the mining industry are also a fascinating means by which to get a glimpse of global society and politics at the very beginning of the 20th century. The subject of later allegations and much political controversy, Hoover's many early adventures in mining and finance are examined in great detail and with a carefully tuned sense of historical judgment. Nash focuses in particular on Hoover's misadventures and outright failures, presumably in response to specific historical and political allegations, almost to the exclusion of his positive accomplishments. Nonetheless, one comes away from this book not only greatly enlightened on the subject of Hoover's character, but with a surprising amount of knowledge on the business of mining and international finance in the early 20th century.

Review # 2 was written on 2017-03-16 00:00:00 Krista Thomas I learned a little about Herbert Hoover, but I learned a TON about early 20th century mining. If those tow facts were reversed, I would have been far more pleased with this book. I came into this trying to get some background on Hoover, prior to his days in public office. While I did get some information, and I look forward to examining his presidency, the amount of information on the mining industry from the late 1800s to the 1910s was just plain sleep inducing. In what I can only term insomnia curing detail, Nash makes sure the reader knows every dollar invested, spent, and lost in a myriad of mining projects from Australia to China to Africa. Just not a great ready, but I have to respect the detail that it contains.