In Hoffa's Shadow

A Stepfather, a Disappearance in Detroit, and My Search for the Truth

By: Jack Goldsmith

Narrated by: Stephen Graybill

New York Times Book Review Notable Books of the Year - 2019

As a young man, Jack Goldsmith revered his stepfather, longtime Jimmy Hoffa associate Chuckie O’Brien. But as he grew older and pursued a career in law and government, he came to doubt and distance himself from the man long suspected by the FBI of perpetrating Hoffa’s disappearance on behalf of the mob. It was only years later, when Goldsmith was serving as assistant attorney general in the George W. Bush administration and questioning its misuse of surveillance and other powers, that he began to reconsider his stepfather, and to understand Hoffa’s true legacy.

In Hoffa’s Shadow tells the moving story of how Goldsmith reunited with the stepfather he’d disowned and then set out to unravel one of the 20th century’s most persistent mysteries and Chuckie’s role in it. Along the way, Goldsmith explores Hoffa’s rise and fall and why the golden age of blue-collar America came to an end, while also casting new light on the century-old surveillance state, the architects of Hoffa’s disappearance, and the heartrending complexities of love and loyalty.

©2019 Jack Goldsmith (P)2019 Macmillan Audio

A good rehash

An old story told From Chuck O’Brien‘s protective. You feel sorry for everyone involved. Doesn’t protest the FBI in the best light but given recent political events, it’s become clear that organization needs reform. The underworld characters are sad individuals as well.

more interesting than The Irishman

Way, WAY more interesting than The Irishman (I Heard You Paint Houses). Thirteen fourteen fifteen 😉

Where Oh Where is Hoffa

I grew up with the story. My Dad followed Hoffa's disappearance closely. Every time there was a dig, he thought for sure they'd find him. So I found this really, really interesting. And with 2 hours left in the audiobook, I open my local paper about a week ago only to see that Chuckie has died. Great book

A bit tangential, but better than expected

I wasn't overwhelmed by the book and summary at first, but since the life and disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa is such an intriguing story, and with the Sheeran book made into a film, I decided to try it. The first thing to expect is that there's considerably more than just Chuckie O'Brien and Jimmy Hoffa. A significant part of this book is professional autobiography. It seems as if having a stepfather mixing with mafia members was merely a primer for the kind of lawlessness the author would find working in the post-9/11 Bush administration. It becomes a bit self-congratulatory at times, but I suppose if you feel that you're the only person in the room with a conscience and a respect for human rights, that might be the natural reaction. Secondly, a large portion is dedicated, rather forcefully, to bashing Robert Kennedy for his overreach as Attorney General. This works as a linchpin connecting his perceived harassment of Hoffa (and by extension, O'Brien) in the 60's, with the inspiration given to future Attorneys General to pursue their objectives by extralegal means. What remains is the story of the stepfather and stepson, and thankfully short on overwrought shows of emotion. Which is not to say the author is completely dispassionate. In fact, I felt the conclusions made by the author seemed much more based in sentiment than in fact. This is notable since the author lays plain his tendency to be a stickler for the rule of law and gathering of facts. Overall, a reasonably entertaining listen, marred occasionally by mispronunciations, particularly of some Italian names.

Hoffa and Chucky

We like the speaker, sounded like Chuck’s stepson. Made us reevaluate Hoffa and his disappearance.