by David Nasaw
First published 2005
David Nasaw chronicles the extraordinary rise of William Randolph Hearst, who transformed a small inherited newspaper with fifteen thousand readers into America's most widely read publication with twenty million copies in circulation. Hearst constructed a media empire spanning twenty-eight newspapers, a press agency, multiple radio chains, numerous magazines, and the leading film studio of the 1920s. His populist political ambitions nearly secured him the New York mayoralty and positioned him as a potential Democratic presidential candidate. Nasaw examines Hearst's contradictory nature as he championed American involvement in the Spanish-Cuban War, defended workers while opposing communism, and published writings by Hitler and Mussolini in his papers. The biography explores his legendary San Simeon estate that inspired Kane's Xanadu, his collection of lovers before Marion Davies entered his life, and his relentless pursuit of power, wealth, and influence. Nasaw presents a comprehensive portrait of a man whose voracious appetites shaped American media and politics.
Genres: biography, 20th-century, politics, 21st-century, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: biography, historical-figure
Setting: America, New York, San Simeon
Period: 1920s, Spanish-Cuban War
800 pages · Paperback · Tusquets Editores S.A.