The Chief: The Life of William Randolph Hearst

Nasaw has written an excellent biography of publishing tycoon William Randolph Hearst. Hearst's father George was a self-made man who made millions in the gold and silver mines of the West. He also had been a Senator from California and had founded the San Francisco Examiner. When George died, he left everything to his wife Phoebe and nothing to his only son William. William was in his late twenties when his father died, and had nothing to show for his age (he was a prep school and Harvard dropout), except for running up expenses when he worked on his father's paper. But he had big ideas and an interesting philosophy to go with them: "There is no shame being in debt. Debt, on the contrary, was the magic ingredient to build and buy whatever [one] wanted. A penny saved might be a penny earned, but a penny borrowed was worth even more." With this philosophy driving him he began building his publishing empire, buying newspapers, new equipment, "stealing" writers and editors from his rivals. His mother was his early source of "borrowed" income - whatever he wanted she gave him (though she kept careful records). But the publishing business (which, in addition to scores of newspaper around the country, eventually would include ownership of many magazines, which proved even more lucrative) was just a stepping stone to other adventures: politics (he was a US congressman from NYC for a couple of terms and ran for governor and then President, unsuccessfully), the incredible mansions and art collections he spent millions on, and his mistress, the actress Marion Davies, whom he lived with openly for the last three decades of his life though he was still married to his wife Millicent. Hearst was a man of idea, though, and strong opinions, and his newspapers allowed him a platform from which to air them. He was a strong advocate for unions early on and against the trusts; he was against the US getting involved in WW I and hated Wilson; he hated communism and lashed out violently with his pen against Roosevelt's New Deal proposals (especially the NRA), which he viewed as too left-leaning; again when WW II seemed imminent, he believed the US should stay out in Europe (though he felt a strong threat from Japan). Nasaw is an excellent writer and recounts Hearst's life in a compelling and authoritative manner. Perhaps he spends a bit too much time on Hearst's life with Marion - it takes on a sordid quality, especially when combined with all the space devoted to the mansions, the parties in them, and the seemingly maniacal need to collect artifacts, regardless of price. But he makes it plain that Hearst was more than that, and that he influenced public opinion and was a world shaker greater than most newspaper editors even dare to dream. A fascinating book. Highly recommended.

I enjoyed reading this book and thought it was really well-written. Having grown up in Cambria, just a few miles south of San Simeon, I have always had an interest in William Hearst. Out of all the books published on Hearst, this one really seems to be the most comprehensive and the most credible. As a young adult, I have spent many times sitting on the beach at San Simeon cove reading a Cosmopolitan. How ironic to finally know more about the castle that soared above and the man behind it. I invite anyone to read this book and if you get a chance, take a trip to the Central Coast of California and visit Hearst Castle. It is truly an amazing place!

"The Chief" a wonderful and well balanced portrayal of the rise and fall of one of the past centuries greats. The book does an excellent job of clearly documenting the source of W.R.'s wealth and his manner of spending it. For nearly 5 decades he ruled his publishing empire with an iron hand when necessary and a velvet glove other times. This book documents the dichotomy of preaching family and morals in his newspapers while openly keeping a mistress (the movie star, Marion Davies) for many years. On the one hand it shows his vision as the initial advocate for the 40 hour work week in both private and public service and on the other his total naivete on the actions of Mussolini and Hitler. For example, he thought he'd altered Hitler's views (in both print and during face-to-face meetings) toward the Jews in the 1930s. The author, David Nasaw, was given access to boxes and boxes of correspondence between W.R. and everyone inside and outside his circle. Correspondence which was very blunt by even today's standards. This goes a long ways in providing a clear and documented trail of W.R.'s successes and failures in both his private and public life. For example, he writes to his oldest son George when he was 36, "Somebody had to be in charge of the station. You have not yet demonstrated the ability to run a station... Just remember, George, you have never demonstrated anything in you life yet. You have not even demonstrated a willingness to work." Sadly, his power base was substantially altered by near rabid attacks on the far left during the 1930s, the depression, and the graduated income tax structure in this country. In other words he failed to anticipate nor recognize the culminating points through life's journey and as a result suffered accordingly. In general this book is well worth the read if you can get through the 600 pages.

I read W. Swanberg's 1961 biography of Hearst when it came out and have reread it several times since then. I just finished Nasaw's new biography and have concluded it is superior to the latter in depth and overall content. Superbly written, it is much more dazzling coverage of arguably the most fascintating public and private person outside of Washington D.C (excluding Hearst's brief role as a Congressman). Hearst lived a life that undoubtedly will not be experienced again by anybody, due to the era in which he lived and the opportunities and circumstances that era's environment presented him. I've been reading autobiographies and biographies since my childhood and this one of Hearst is the best to date. The life of our current wealthiest citizen, Billy Gates, vastly pales in comparison with that of Hearst. Highly recommended!

David Nasaw has crafted in "The Chief" a brilliant portrait of one of the most important figures in twentieth century America. With the help of never before seen documents, and privileged access to the Hearst family archives, Nasaw closely follows Hearst's life and times through his young life, his Harvard years, and the subsequent rise, fall, and recovery of his publishing and movie empire. It is rare to find an academic work of this caliber. Nasaw combines the serious and diligent research of a distinguished historian with the story telling ability of a novelist to make The Chief a worthy read for anyone interested in Hearst, whose life formed the basis for Orson Welles' Citizen Kane.