{"product_id":"9781893224643","title":"Hughes: The Private Diaries, Memos and Letters","description":"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.\u003cp\u003eMuch 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.  \u003ci\u003eHughes\u003c\/i\u003e 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHoward 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eImpeccably researched for decades, here at last is the complete and definitive   story of an extraordinary American life - \u003ci\u003eHughes\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe cast of characters:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHOWARD HUGHES\u003cbr\u003eA handsome playboy, an award-winning film producer, a record-setting aviator, a legendary eccentric, and the richest man in America.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eKATHARINE HEPBURN\u003cbr\u003eKatharine 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNOAH DIETRICH\u003cbr\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBETTE DAVIS\u003cbr\u003eIn 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGINGER ROGERS\u003cbr\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAVA GARDNER\u003cbr\u003eAfter 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRITA HAYWORTH\u003cbr\u003eHughes 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCARY GRANT\u003cbr\u003eHughes' 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBILLIE DOVE\u003cbr\u003eKnown 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eJANE RUSSELL\u003cbr\u003eAttracted by Russell's incredible figure, Hughes made the actress a star in his film \u003ci\u003eThe Outlaw\u003c\/i\u003e. It was all business for the ravishing brunette, who never found Hughes charming or exciting.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLANA TURNER\u003cbr\u003eBriefly 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eROBERT MAHEU\u003cbr\u003eA 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGLORIA VANDERBILT\u003cbr\u003eThe \"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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eJEAN PETERS\u003cbr\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTERRY MOORE\u003cbr\u003eA 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFRANK WILLIAM GAY\u003cbr\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFAITH DOMERGUE\u003cbr\u003eThis 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.  \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"New Millennium Entertainment","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47039278874864,"sku":"9781893224643","price":18.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781893224643","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}