Portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio in the Martin Scorsese movie The Aviator , Howard Hughes is legendary as a playboy and pilot-but he is notorious for what he became- the ultimate mystery man. Citizen Hughes is the New York Times bestselling expose of Hughes's hidden life, and a stunning revelation of his "megalomaniac empire in the emperor's own words" ( Newsweek ). At the height of his wealth, power, and invisibility, the world's richest and most secretive man kept what amounted to a diary. The billionaire commanded his empire by correspondence, scrawling thousands of handwritten memos to unseen henchmen. It was the only time Howard Hughes risked writing down his orders, plans, thoughts, fears, and desires. Hughes claimed the papers were so sensitive-"the very most confidential, almost sacred information as to my innermost activities"-that not even his most trusted aides or executives were allowed to keep the messages he sent them.But in the early-morning hours of June 5, 1974, unknown burglars staged a daring break-in at Hughes's supposedly impregnable headquarters and escaped with all the confidential files. Despite a top-secret FBI investigation and a million-dollar CIA buyback bid, none of the stolen secret papers were ever found-until investigative reporter Michael Drosnin cracked the case. In Citizen Hughes , Drosnin reveals the true story of the great Hughes heist-and of the real Howard Hughes. Based on nearly ten thousand never-before-published documents, more than three thousand in Hughes's own handwriting, Citizen Hughes is far more than a biography, or even an unwilling autobiography. It is a startling record of the secret history of our times.
In his blacked-out Desert Inn Las Vegas suite, with only Mormon aides under the strictest of rules. Eating only canned goods after the most precise label removed sterilization routines. And the continuous viewing of the movie "Ice Station Zebra" morning, noon and night. This is the unshaved, rarely bathed Howard Hughes in his final years. Las Vegas because of its heat; heat representing in his mind cleanliness and purity. My how the mighty have fallen! Should be a sequel to the film "The Aviator".
Hughes the Enigma
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 20 years ago
Michael Drosnin goes deep into the bowels of the Hughes empire and as a bonus, the deepest pathway into the Washington power elite. (Is there really and honest person in Washington?)Drosnin's technique for skipping back and forth through time was cleverly done through blending the characters names and incidences with subtle reminders. There are many names to remember and in the beginning I thought I may be "screwed" to remember all of them. But this was not the case. This read left me with truly ambivalent feelings for several characters but most of all Hughes. His total waste of his brain power through drugs and isolation and still his remarkable ability to be lucid when demanded of him is insight to the genius he once was. I wish I read this book when it was first published.
Citizen Hughes
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 20 years ago
A non-stop page turner! Since the seriousness of Drosnin's literary efforts are suspect [given his other works e.g. his bible code books; which should be interpreted for what they are - commercial entertainment - instead of some apocalyptic revelation beyond silliness], I don't know if his "facts" are accurate, but what a great read! Immensely entertaining!
Every American should read this book.
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 20 years ago
Drosnin's painstaking research makes this book THE most authoritative account of the later years of Howard Hughes. Students of politics will enjoy the tales of political bribery.Citizen Hughes should be reissued for HRH's centennial in 2005.
Great piece of research!
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 25 years ago
Michael Drosnin did an excellent job of deciphering all the memos that Howard Hughes exchanged with Robert Maheu (his chief of Las Vegas operations) and writing a cohesive story. He also interviewed many associates to obtain a true picture of what went on with Howard Hughes during his many years of self-imposed exile. I found it to be the most interesting and revealing book about Hughes that I have ever read. I worked for one of his companies for 30 years and I would highly recommend this book.
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