Hughes: The Private Diaries, Memos and Letters

The Definitive Biography of the First American Billionaire

By: Richard Hack

Narrated by: Dan Cashman

Length: 17 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's summary

"Howard Hughes would have hated this book...because he never wanted the truth to be told. As the man who knew Hughes best for 17 years and to whom he referred publicly as his alter-ego, I now believe that the entire story has finally been told." (Robert Maheu)

Howard Hughes was a true American original: legendary lover, record-setting aviator, award-winning film producer, talented inventor, ultimate eccentric, and, for much of his lifetime, the richest man in the United States.

His desire for privacy was so fierce and his isolation so complete that even now, 25 years after his death, inaccurate stories continue to circulate, and many have been published as fact. Hughes explodes the illusion of his life and exposes the man behind the myth. He was a playboy whose sexual exploits with Hollywood stars were legendary. He was a man without compassion; an entrepreneur without ethics; an explorer without maps; and ultimately, an eccentric trapped by his own insanity, sealed off from reality, who died a lonely and - until now - mysterious death.

Newly uncovered personal letters, over 110,000 pages of sealed court testimony, recently declassified FBI files, never-before-published autopsy reports and exclusive interviews reveal a man so devious in his thinking, so perverse in his desires, and so influential that his impact continues to be felt even today. From entertainment to politics, aviation to espionage, the influence and manipulation of this billionaire has left an indelible and unique mark on the American cultural landscape.

©2001 New Millennium Audio, All Rights Reserved (P)2001 New Millennium Audio, All Rights Reserved

Critic reviews

"In the most exciting bio of the year, Hack presents the American dream curdling into the American nightmare, personified in a legend who at last has an accounting worthy of him." (Publishers Weekly)
"A fascinating, captivating listen." (AudioFile)

Enjoyed it

Loved the book, and the narrator. A very interesting account of Howard Hughes' life, who is shown to be a very complicated person.

I was incredulous.

I couldn't stop listening. I knew Hughes was at least eccentric and OCD but those descriptions are too vague. I don't think there is a psychological or physiological category that he would fall in to. Fascinating. Well written, credible and though I thought a few words were misread, narration good.

Insightful information on a strange fellow......

I was a teenager when I first heard of this elusive millionaire, Howard Hughes. I really enjoyed the audiobook, as I was able to listen to an hour per day while I commuted to work each day. It was all I could do to not listen to the CD's during the weekends. This book provides very interesting and sometimes very odd insight on a man who had all the money you would ever want - but nothing else. I'll take my "simple life" any day over his..........

Detailed...

...Howard Hughes would have liked that ;-)
It's well written and the narrater has a nice voice. But the author should have mentioned the year and HRH's age more often. He also should have given more backround stories regarding the "girlfriends" - 50 female names and most of them only mentioned twice makes it hard to follow who is who and when the relationship took place. Othern than that the author did a good job describing the strange but exciting world of HRH.

Intriguing biography but not definitive

Not the best Biography. Hughes is portrayed as a severely dysfunctional individual: mentally, socially, and even dysfunctional in his business dealings, yet he became the first billionaire in America. These facts do not make sense and the book does not attempt to explain, analyze, or even acknowledge this discrepancy, thus it cannot be the definitive biography of Howard Hughes, as claimed by the author. Many other minor paradoxes are not even acknowledged. What stands out in the book is that HRH was a consummate predator of human beings, a cannibal, which you will clearly see is something very different than a warrior. Intriguing but not definitive.

Hughes Biography

Outstanding and very interesting - what a nut Howard turned out to be. Very good and enjoyed the entire book

Expertly written biography of a intriguing man

The life story of Hughes is like a fictional soap opera itself. This detailed biography really brings things to life. A must read.

There's A Great Book In There Somewhere

Wow, this guy can sure write and, no doubt, he's done his research. I wish he could have edited as well. We are inundated with facts and figures and unimportant people (at least to the story) that detract from the insightful tale of Howard Hughes and what made him tick. That Hughes is a mighty figure and an interesting character goes without saying. However, in this bloated tome the interesting facts can easily get bogged down with the trite.

Great book! I couldn't stop listening

Even though this book was very long, it sure doesn't feel that way. The Narrator sounded great. He has a voice that you can lose yourself in. Howard Hughes was quite a interesting subject. I never got bored, even when Mr. Hughes started, his now famous, strange routines.

Not What I Expected, but worth the read!

Having grown up in Los Angeles, earning a degree in Aerospace Engineering and working as a mechanical engineer at a large aerospace company, I was eager to read this book to gain incite into Hughes Aircraft and Hughes Helicopter accomplishments. On this front, I would be greatly disappointed, since only brief mention of the development of the Falcon Missile, Polaris Missile and AH-64A Apache advance attack helicopter, to name a few are discussed, altough a decent portion of time is devoted to the XF-11 and Spruce Goose, in addition to Hughes' personal aviation accomplishments, which at the time were record breaking.

The book instead provides a holistic overview, albeit through a microscope, of Hughes' life from the time of his birth to his death, focusing entirely on his personal businesses endevours, beyond eccentric behavior and his inexhaustible appetite for famous Hollywood women. The book doesn't attempt for example to place sympothy on Hughes' addiction and abuse of prescription drugs, but merely factually explains his extreme level of consumption. The reader is left to pass this judgement.

The book is overly specific with details regarding all aspects of Hughes life and the opinions of his closest friends and family within that context, so if this level of detail is something you seek, then I strongly suggest this book.