Howard Hughes: Power, Paranoia, and Palace Intrigue, Revised and Expanded

This new revised and expanded edition of Howard Hughes chronicles the life and legacies of one of the most intriguing and accomplished Americans of the twentieth century. Hughes, born into wealth thanks to his father’s innovative drill bit that transformed the oil industry, put his inheritance to work in multiple ways, from producing big-budget Hollywood movies to building the world’s fastest and largest airplanes. He set air speed records and traveled around the world in record time, earning ticker-tape parades in three cities in 1938. Later, Hughes moved to Las Vegas and invested heavily in casinos. He bought seven resorts, in each case helping to loosen organized crime’s grip on Nevada’s lifeblood industry.

Although the public viewed Hughes as a heroic and independent-minded trailblazer, behind closed doors he suffered from germ phobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and an addiction to painkillers. He became paranoid and reclusive, surrounding himself with a small cadre of loyal caretakers. As executives battled each other over his empire, Hughes’ physical and mental health deteriorated to the point where he lost control of his business affairs.

Based on in-depth interviews with individuals who knew and worked with Hughes, the book provides an insider’s view of his final years and their aftermath, as well as a detailed assessment of his legacies and impact on popular culture.