Karina Longworth

Karina Longworth, the host and producer of the podcast, "You Must Remember This", has written a well-researched and engaging biography of Howard Hughes, mainly focusing on his Hollywood years. If you are interested in old Hollywood, this book is for you.
My favorite quote:
"...perceived as a rube by the Hollywood elite, Hughes was a quick study when interested. With only a little experience he understood rapidly, and perhaps better than anyone else of his era, how to use publicity to project an image that could then become real- or, at least perceived to be real. Above all, Hughes understood how easily the gap between perception and reality could be made to disappear, and how to manipulate the blurred line to his advantage."

This sums up how he manipulated the public, shareholders and most of all, the many women he "seduced", with promises of marriage and stardom. I kept wondering why the women in his life put up with what one coined, his "play-acting". He was truly a master-manipulator.
Growing up in the 1970s, I recall the speculation about Hughes' whereabouts. Reports about the condition of his body at his death was a testimony to the seclusion and neglect of the final years of his life. What a contrast and to the larger than life aviator, businessman, and lothario of his time in Hollywood.
Very interesting!… (meer)

While seemingly not as "in the open", Hollywood really hasn't changed much. I knew the basics about Howard Hughes, the obsession with female breasts and the later seclusion in Las Vegas, I never fully grasped how poor a businessman he was (buying things because he could afford it and then quickly running it to the ground (much like a similar tycoon today)), he was also very much a bit of a scumbag (much like a similar tycoon today).
I thoroughly enjoy 'You Must Remember This', Ms. Longworth's podcast about Hollywood history, which is mainly the reason I picked up this book. I'm glad I did, completely readable and enjoyable. I will certainly pick up her other books.… (meer)

I thought this book was fascinating not only in capturing history through the points of view of women entangled in the life of Howard Hughes, but also for how that history is reflected in our own time. The narratives surrounding female film stars, and women in general, today are not radically different than they were in the 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, and on. What Longworth is able to do is show through a series of portraits of women involved with Hughes is how different women were able to shape, or be shaped by those narratives. It is a beautiful work of empathy and respect for the women caught in the net of one powerful and insane man's lies.… (meer)

Disclaimer: The genre of this book is not something i would normally seek out as a reader. I was nonetheless fascinated by how much is pieced together, the common threads interwoven, and how these connections were presented to the reader. The pacing/timing is interesting; for the demographics of the expected readership, I would imagine this book would be appreciated even more. The subject matter is quite serious, the writing is solid, and the work done to compose this book is in earnest. When this book was released, it was (and certainly still is) incredibly prescient. If this book is classed in one the subjects or genres that any given reader enjoys, this book may very well be worth the read.… (meer)