The Chief: The Life of William Randolph Hearst

A biography of William Randolph Hearst, known to his staff as the Chief, based on newly released private and business documents. Hearst was a brilliant business strategist who by the 1930s controlled the largest publishing empire in the United States, including twenty-eight newspapers, the Cosmopolitan Picture Studio, radio stations, and thirteen magazines. He used this media stronghold to achieve significant political power. The son of a gold miner, Hearst's life included a transformation from Harvard dropout to political kingmaker, from outspoken populist to opponent of the New Deal, and from citizen to congressman. David Nasaw presents an intimate portrait of the man famously characterized in the classic film Citizen Kane. With access to Hearst's personal and business papers, Nasaw details Hearst's relationship with his wife Millicent and his romance with Marion Davies, his interactions with Hitler, Mussolini, Churchill, and every American president from Grover Cleveland to Franklin Roosevelt, and his acquaintance with movie figures such as Louis B. Mayer, Jack Warner, and Irving Thalberg.