Howard: The Amazing Mr. Hughes

by Noah Dietrich

1 SOFTCOVER BOOK (pocket size)

Genres: Biography

303 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1972

Reviews

[Maureen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Noah Dietrich was an executive in virtually all of Howard Hughes' business enterprises. He is also one of the people who never jeopardized his paycheck by telling Howard Hughes "No." On top of that, he hired the Mormon "body guards" who made sure that Hughes was isolated from anyone who cared about him, and insulated Hughes so that his long fall into complete madness was assured. I see subtle digs in this book, like referring to the Hercules, also known as the HK-1, as the flying boat - a name that Hughes abhorred.

Dietrich was named as executor in the phony Mormon Will, and this book came out just in time for prospective jurors to read it. I know something about this, because I worked as a trial consultant for the Hughes family on this case. Most of the outrageous stories in this book are true and valid, but the book was written with a slant to make the Mormon will seem like the real thing. Howard Hughes led an amazing life, but this is not an amazing book.

[George Dudley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book by the one most close to Howard Hughes than anyone else.

[Trevor McGuire · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wow, it must be nice to never be wrong about anything. What a humble brag. I haven't read The Art of the Deal, but I imagine it is similar to this; a bunch of conmen and overall dirtbags.

[Grant · Rating 3 out of 5]

noah dietrich, the author, was the accountant and the right hand man of howard hughes. this telling of hughes's life lacks much color even when recalling slices of his life that make him so infamous. but it does hit on some behind the scenes, nonpublic behavior and interactions hughes had with staff. i fault the book for two reasons. first, dietrich portrays hughes more as a fickle, spoiled child than the visionary he was. second, dietrich portrays himself as the real master behind hughe's fortune and schemes when instead he was probably a severely overworked accountant and grocery boy, who hughes would have replaced at the drop of a hat and paid some other accountant an exhorbitant salary had dietrich refused to be on call 24 hours a day. anyway, dietrich's tone grows tiresome halfway through the book, but his personal knowledge of hughes makes it a worthwhile read if you are interested in hughes.

[Margaret Kumma · Rating 1 out of 5]

Absolutely awful. Noah Dietrich did nothing more here than to air his sour grapes. I was extremely disappointed when I read this because after I saw "The Aviator", I thought they were very good friends. Maybe he did know Howard Hughes the best, but it's very sad that he felt the need to write this garbage. I would give it negative stars if I could.

This is one of those very rare times when the movie is better than the book. The movie is so good, in fact, that it's hard to believe that it's based on this dreck.

[Pete · Rating 3 out of 5]

Any book about an individual as unque as Howard Hughes is bound to be entertaining and this was no exception. The anecdote about Howard being jailed as a vagrant was priceless. There is some bitterness from the author but it is probably justified. To Mr. Dietrich's credit he suggested some of the more bizarre behavior of Howard in later years may have been attributed to concussions he sustained from his earlier aviation accidents.

[Tom Schulte · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here is an entertaining insight into Howard Hughes' life from his chief executive and assistant. Wealth, talent, and opportunity squandered in megalomania and mysophobia (germophobia) in a swirl of skirt-chasing and pipe dreams like movie epics and the Hughes H-4 Hercules "Spruce Goose". (I saw the H-4 display in the '80s.) This former CPA's insight made for some interesting asides, such as how part of the outcome of Hughes' pointless battle with Long Beach over land resulted in that community acquiring the Queen Mary and the seeking for political favor led to an ill-conceived loan to Vice President Nixon's brother. The resulting scandal sounds something like a trial run for the ITT affair, which some think a motivation for Wategate.