Gibson wrote this daily journal when he accompanied Herbert Hoover around the world on the so-called food mission to assess needs and coordinate efforts in alleviating the famine caused by severe droughts and the devastation wrought by World War II. After Hoover’s successes in similar humanitarian ventures decades earlier, he was the perfect choice to head the Famine Emergency Committee established by President Truman on March 1, 1946. Hoover and his delegation traveled to nearly forty countries in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America between March and June 1946 (and again to Europe in February 1947). As Hoover’s close associate, Gibson provides a fascinating and lively account of the mission, making incisive comments on a wide range of topics, from their meetings with heads of state and other prominent figures to the general political situation and overall living conditions.

Beyond the focus on food, these fascinating and lively diaries cover a wide range of political and social issues. In the words of his son, Michael Gibson, “The result is a dizzying cross-section of the world just one year after the war ended.” Gibson often relates Hoover’s state of mind and some of his conversations with various heads of state and did, on occasion, paste newspaper clippings and menus into his diary.

ITINERARY

United States: New York (March 17)—page 1

Canada: Stephenville, Newfoundland (March 17)—pages 1–2

The Azores: Santa Maria Island (March 18)—page 3

France: Paris (March 19–22)—pages 4–16

Italy: Rome/the Vatican (March 22–25)—pages 16–32

Switzerland: Geneva (March 25–26)—pages 32–38

France: Paris (March 26–27)—pages 38–40

Czechoslovakia: Prague (March 27–28)—pages 40–47

Poland: Warsaw (March 28–31)—pages 47–74

Finland: Helsinki (March 31–April 1)—pages 74–78

Sweden: Stockholm (April 1–2)—pages 78–84

Norway: Oslo (April 2–4)—pages 84–91

Great Britain: London (April 4–6)—pages 91–100

Belgium: Brussels (April 6–10)—pages 100–20

The Netherlands: Amsterdam and The Hague (April 9)—page 116

Denmark: Copenhagen (April 10–11)—pages 120–23

Germany: Berlin (April 11–14)—pages 123–34

Austria: Vienna (April 14–16)—pages 134–53

Yugoslavia: Belgrade (April 16)—pages 153–58

Greece: Athens (April 16–18)—pages 159–66

Egypt: Cairo (April 18–21)—pages 166–87

Iraq: Baghdad (April 21–22)—pages 187–98

[Pakistan]: Karachi (April 22–23)—pages 198–203

India: New Delhi (April 23–24)—pages 204–18

Bombay (April 24–25)—pages 218–24

Bangalore (April 25–26)—pages 224–34