Overview

"William Randolph Hearst was a figure of Shakespearean proportions, a man of huge ambition, inflexible will, and inexhaustible energy. He revolutionized the newspaper industry in America, becoming the most powerful media mogul the world had ever seen, and in the process earned himself the title of ""most hated man in America"" on four different occasions. Now in the second volume of this sweeping biography, Ben Procter gives readers a vivid portrait of the final 40 years of Hearst's life. Drawing on previously unavailable letters and manuscripts, and quoting generously from Hearst's own editorials, Procter covers all aspects of Hearst's career: his journalistic innovations, his impassioned patriotism, his fierce belief in ""Government by Newspaper,"" his frustrated political aspirations, profligate spending and voracious art collecting, the building of his castle at San Simeon, and his tumultuous Hollywood years. The book offers new insight into Hearst's bitter and highly public quarrels with Al Smith (who referred to Hearst papers as ""Mudgutter Gazettes"") and FDR (whose New Deal Hearst dubbed the ""Raw Deal""); his 30-year affair with the actress Marion Davies (and her own affairs with others); his political evolution from a progressive trust-buster and ""America first"" isolationist to an increasingly conservative and at times hysterical anti-communist. Procter also explores Hearst's ill-considered meeting with Hitler, his attempts to suppress ""Citizen Kane,"" and his relationships with Joseph Kennedy, Charles Lindbergh, Louis B. Meyer, and many other major figures of his time. As Life magazine noted, Hearst newspapers were a ""one-man fireworks display""--sensational, controversial, informative, and always entertaining. In Ben Procter's fascinating biography, Hearst shines forth in all his eccentric and egocentric glory."

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9780195325348

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Reviews

This biography is a good starting point for any reader wanting to know about the man Citizen Kane was modeled on--and why he mattered. --M.J. Birkner, CHOICE<br> William Randolph Hearst: The Later Years, 1911-1951 provides excellent coverage of Hearst's efforts to fulfill his dream of 'government by newspaper.' --Rodney Carlisle, The Journal of American History<br> This is a superbly written examination. --Booklist<br> Proctor does an excellent job of collecting the facts.... Scholars will appreciate the extensive use of primary sources. --Judy Solber, Library Journal<br> It is Procter's literary agility in dealing with Hearst's complexities that makes this work sing.... In volume 1 and now in volume 2, Procter has more than lived up to the challenge of telling this man's life story. -- Jhistory, H-Net Reviews<br>

Procter (History/Texas Christian Univ.) completes his two-volume biography of the man whose ego and empire and sense of entitlement ballooned to proportions so vast that it took the Great Depression and time's stiletto to puncture them.Throughout, Procter (William Randolph Hearst: The Early Years, 1863-1901, 1998) is kind to his subject. Hearst was a genius (or nearly so), a wonderful cook, fiercely loyal to both women in his life (his wife and the actress Marion Davies), highly creative and innovative with a seemingly inexhaustible work ethic. He loved art and amassed one of the greatest collections ever. Procter reminds us of Hearst's innovations not only in journalism but in Hollywood. He created The Perils of Pauline (and wrote scripts for the serial); he insisted on historical accuracy in sets and costumes. Hearst also had ferocious political ambitions. He served two terms in Congress but failed repeatedly to win the White House and seemed to have a genetic incapability of backing a winner in state or national elections. He believed in America First and urged the country to stay out of both world wars. He had an audience with Hitler in the early 1930s and came away very impressed, says Procter. The author does show Hearst's great weaknesses, principally his inability to control spending. If he wanted it (a rare work of art, an English castle, a private compound at San Simeon, whatever), he bought it. For years, he invested $50,000 per month in the construction of a San Simeon property. Frequently, he took long and luxurious trips to Europe with dozens of his closest friends.Procter does not ignore Hearst's ruthless dishonesty, his reptilian professional and personal ethics, but the author does sometimes succumb to the subject's celebrity and toxic charm. (Kirkus Reviews)

Author Information

Ben Procter is Professor of History at Texas Christian University and the author of Not Without Honor: The Life of John H. Reagan, Battle of the Alamo, Just One Riot, and William Randolph Hearst: The Early Years, 1863-1910. He lives in Fort Worth, Texas.

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