(........He told several of his closest aides that he remained a single man because he feared the wrong woman would be his downfall; a bad marriage would destroy him. Hoover's niece, Margaret Fenell, grew up alongside him; she stayed in touch with him for six decades. She knew him as well as anyone could. " I sometimes have thought that he really-I don't know how to put it-had a fear of becoming too personally involved with people," she reflected. If he ever expressed love beyond his devotion to God and country, there was no witnesses. He was sentimental a out dogs, but unemotional about people. His innner life was a mystery, even to his immediate family and his few close friends."

p 4 Enemies A History of the FBI by Tim Weiner

I am not sure what the author is trying to accomplish here? Is he saying that Hoover is a great man who loved this country so it's not proper to say that he might be a gay or bi and likely had a male partner??

WE may not ever know for sure. But I do know that if he were gay he would be way in the closet and I think in that time period being closeted was the norm and that meant not telling anyone including your closest family and friends unless they were gay as well. I have an 80+ year old friend who had a family and lots of grandchildren and they have no idea of his "other life". He has crafted quite the closet and compartment around his two lives. And that is 2012. Can you imagine how easy it was back in the 40's, 50's and 60's to do it?