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)

THIS AUDIO BOOK IS THE ONLY ONE TO BELIEVE

There is not much to say. Every penny I spent was worth it. I literally stopped my life for two days listening to the real life story of Howard Hughes.

I felt as if the authors place me in the mind of the most incredible, corruptible, business tycoon to ever be born on this earth. There will never...and I use the word NEVER...because of all the autobiographies I have read, be another Howard Hughes. If the last ten years of his life were not so sad, I would have laughed until I cried.

Thanks for reading this...GET THIS AUDIO BOOK...YOU WILL NOT BE SORRY!!!

This Review Needs a Title...So

Fine biography, sprinkled with twentieth century American history. Very very detailed biography. Starts with his death and the mysteries that surrounded it.

Great book--Poor Narration

This wonderful and fascinating look at the life of Howard Hughes is severly damaged by the frequent mispronunciation of key words. Forget the mispronunciation of names ("Dore Schary" and "Faith Domergue" to name a couple). Even the simplest of words ("gaffe" and "substantive" being just two of the many) are slaughtered. Forget legal terms like "nolo contendere". The content of the book tries to override these moments, but each mispronunciation jolts one out of the book for 20 to 30 seconds in disbelief. It is a shame that the narrator and/or producer of this audio edition did little or no research before hitting the "record" button.

GOOD READ

This is a good read, and i highly recommend it. But I'm not sure about the author, I think he's a Hack.

Liking the Unlikable

It is difficult to like a book about an unlikable character and in Howard Hughes there was much not to like. Had he not had the cash machine of the Hughes Tool Company, he would have been one of those people who drifted through life never quite putting it together in either their personal or professional lives. In his later years, he either would have been institutionalized (in one era) or living on the street (in another). Nevertheless, this author and this reader pull it off and make the experience of listening to this life a fascinating experience. I will never forget the Howard Hughes instructions on opening a can of peaches.

Obsessions and Paranoia

All great minds has its downfalls. Howard Hughes was his obsessions and paranoia of his own self. The book goes into great detail of Hughes' riches and businesses in planes, films, monopoly of Vegas, Mormon staffs, his consistence womanizing and his hatred of paying taxes. If you want to find out more of business side of Hughes' estate, there is plenty of information out there. If you want to find out more about his corks, paranoia and isolation from everyone and everything, this title is a must read.

Hughes' ego and arrogance has to be the best of his personality and his downfall was the obsessions, depressions, addiction to prescription drugs and probably every mental illness in the book.

For example a manual of how to open a can of peaches and so on.

Even after his death, his Will was being question for its accuracy. Such as Mormon Will and others coming out from the wood work. .

You have to think highly of the man and his mind for modern day invention that we use everyday. These type of corks and kinks and even mental illness, is common to great thinkers of the world, such as Bill Gates and his Aspergers, and others with their obsessions. I have to believe, these people are wired differently from the norm. They were born to invent outside of the drawing board.

This biography is very complete and flow smoothly as you listen to the narration.

The author spare no detail on Hughes personal side and his deterioration of his health, due to his manic behaviors. I'm looking for a complete biography, like this one, on William Randolph Hearst.

Well Written

This is an interesting look into the life of Hughes. Personally, I did not finish it all, as some of the life choices that Hughes made, were catastrophic and frankly, upsetting. I found the information content very robust, and this book is well researched. The book itself is amazing - the life choices of Hughes, monstrous and sad. If you are easily offended by reckless social choices, then this book may not be your best bet. However, if you are simply wanting a very good insight into his life, then this is a winner.

Excellent

This book is both enlightning and entertaining

Gee willikers!

This is the lively and fascinating story of a brilliant creep with a serious personality disorder, which seems to have matched his times and social milieu perfectly. He appears literally to have been unstoppable by physics or law enforcement, until succumbing to a dreary and debilitating brand of "meshugas". Being under 75, I had to Google pictures of his female conquests, but, I must say, he did phenomenally well in that department. Money, however, is just money.

Unfortunately, the writing is barely literate. For instance, the word "that" is used uniformly and annoyingly when "which", "who", or "whom" is called for. The reader amplifies the effect by stumbling over words, such as, "camaraderie" and coming up with at least three unique mispronunciations of "Domergue".

Enjoyable, nonetheless.

A brilliant biography of a complex man

What did you love best about Hughes?

I have always been fascinated by Howard Hughes, but there are a lot of strange and questionable stories about him floating around. I liked the no-nonsense, factual approach of the author.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Howard Hughes. BECAUSE THE BOOK IS ABOUT HIM!

Have you listened to any of Dan Cashman’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have never listened to any of his other performances so this question is moot.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Non-fiction books don't usually evoke emotions in me. I was extremely fascinated by almost every aspect of the book.

Any additional comments?

A great read for a history buff, avation buff, Hughes buff, pretty much anyone. It will really capture you and you won't want to stop listening.