Hughes: The Private Diaries, Memos and Letters

Howard Hughes was a true American original: film producer, test pilot, inventor, investor, and playboy. And for most of his life, he was considered to be the richest man in America, as well as one of the most eccentric.

Much has been much written about this man whose mania for privacy and secretiveness was so total that even twenty-five years after his death, inaccurate stories continue to be repeated as fact. Hughes explodes the illusion of his life, delving deep beneath the surface to expose the man behind all the myths. A legendary lover of Hollywood stars and starlets; a ruthless businessman; a heroic aviator; an explorer without a map; and, finally, an eccentric recluse completely sealed off from the world who died a lonely and, until now, mysterious death.

Howard Hughes never kept a diary, yet he wrote more than 8,000 pages of memos, letters and personal notes that chronicle his life and thoughts. Newly uncovered personal letters, in-depth interviews, sealed court testimony, recently declassified FBI files, and never-before-published autopsy findings reveal a man so complicated in his thinking, so perverse in his desires, and so influential that, even today, he continues to manipulate his image from beyond the grave. From entertainment to politics, aviation to espionage, his sphere of influence was vast and complicated.

Impeccably researched for decades, here at last is the complete and definitive story of an extraordinary American life - Hughes.

The cast of characters:

HOWARD HUGHES
A handsome playboy, an award-winning film producer, a record-setting aviator, a legendary eccentric, and the richest man in America.

KATHARINE HEPBURN
Katharine Hepburn was an established star when she moved into Howard Hughes' mansion on the greens of the Wilshire Country Club in Los Angeles. When she saw that he broke and discarded the dishes on which his dinner guests ate, she suggested he find new friends and save money.

NOAH DIETRICH
The man who ran Howard Hughes' empire for thirty years, he is credited with creating much of the wealth that the billionaire accumulated. Dietrich would later sue his former employer for breach of contract.

BETTE DAVIS
In her memoirs, the Academy Award-winning actress credited Hughes with being her first great love. She filed for divorce from her high-school sweetheart, only to be devastated when Hughes ultimately rejected her.

GINGER ROGERS
The screen legend, who was famous as Fred Astaire's dancing partner, made headlines in 1938 when she rejected Hughes' marriage proposal because he admitted he could never be faithful.

AVA GARDNER
After a fiery and tumultuous relationship, Gardner ended their affair by striking Hughes with a bronze bell, knocking out two of his teeth and causing a head wound that required two dozen stitches to mend.

RITA HAYWORTH
Hughes met secretly with the famous redhead, who was married to screen legend Orson Welles at the time, at the sumptuous beach house of actress Marion Davies.

CARY GRANT
Hughes' best friend during his Hollywood years. The two men would sit together for hours saying nothing, enjoying the quiet away from unrelenting fans. Rumors of a homosexual relationship with Grant were unfounded, but followed the actor his entire life.

BILLIE DOVE
Known as the "Most Beautiful Girl in the World" after she appeared in the Ziegfeld Follies, silent film star Billie Dove lived with a young Howard Hughes. He was heart-broken when she moved out of his home without explanation after a two-year affair.

JANE RUSSELL
Attracted by Russell's incredible figure, Hughes made the actress a star in his film The Outlaw. It was all business for the ravishing brunette, who never found Hughes charming or exciting.

LANA TURNER
Briefly engaged to Howard Hughes, the actress attempted to get him to the altar with the news that she already had her towels embroidered "HH." The billionaire suggested that she marry multimillionaire Huntington Hartford instead.

ROBERT MAHEU
A former FBI agent, Maheu acquired the title of Hughes' alter ego. As his front man, he signed Hughes' deals, earned an exorbitant salary, and lived the life that the billionaire never could. From private jets to executive mansions to extravagant parties, Maheu seemingly had it all until he was abruptly fired by Hughes for "stealing me blind," a charge later proved to be unfounded.

GLORIA VANDERBILT
The "Poor Little Rich Girl" met Hughes as a sixteen-year-old debutante and fell madly in love. He took her flying in his private jet, but quickly tired of her worldly attitude.

JEAN PETERS
The actress met Hughes one day before a plane crash that nearly ended his life. Their affair turned to romance, resulting in an ill-fated marriage that lasted thirteen years.

TERRY MOORE
A perky starlet whose face and figure attracted Hughes' attention when she was still a teenager, Moore alleges that Hughes married her in a secret ceremony at sea, and that she later became pregnant with his baby, who died at birth.

FRANK WILLIAM GAY
The one-time driver who rose through the ranks of executives at Hughes' companies to eventually run his empire. A lifelong Mormon, Gay was responsible for hiring the collection of male aides who cared for Hughes throughout most of his life.

FAITH DOMERGUE
This black-haired beauty fell under Hughes' spell at fifteen, and remained his virtual prisoner until she turned twenty-one. Domergue went on to a career as a horror-film goddess.