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Harold Robbins: The Man Who Invented Sex
A sizzling, sexy biography of the blockbuster author whose life of excess was as racy as one of his own novels.
During his fifty-year career Harold Robbins, the godfather of the airport novel, sold approximately 750 million copies of his books worldwide. His seventh novel, The Carpetbaggers , a steamy tale of sex, greed, and corruption loosely based on the life of Howard Hughes, is the fourth most read book in history. As decadent as his fiction was, however, his life was just as profligate. Over the course of his five-decade career, Robbins spent money as quickly as he earned it, reportedly wasting away $50 million on everything from booze and drugs to yachts and prostitutes. Based on extensive interviews with family members and friends, including Larry Flynt and Barbara Eden, Harold Robbins examines the remarkable life of the man who gave birth to the cult of the modern bestseller and introduced sex to the American marketplace.
During his fifty-year career Harold Robbins, the godfather of the airport novel, sold approximately 750 million copies of his books worldwide. His seventh novel, The Carpetbaggers , a steamy tale of sex, greed, and corruption loosely based on the life of Howard Hughes, is the fourth most read book in history. As decadent as his fiction was, however, his life was just as profligate. Over the course of his five-decade career, Robbins spent money as quickly as he earned it, reportedly wasting away $50 million on everything from booze and drugs to yachts and prostitutes. Based on extensive interviews with family members and friends, including Larry Flynt and Barbara Eden, Harold Robbins examines the remarkable life of the man who gave birth to the cult of the modern bestseller and introduced sex to the American marketplace.
- GenresBiographyNonfiction
320 pages, Hardcover
First published September 18, 2007
7 people are currently reading
108 people want to read
About the author
Andrew Wilson
16 books112 followersAbout himself:
"I'm a journalist and author. My work has appeared in the Guardian, the Washington Post, the Daily Telegraph, the Observer, the Sunday Times, the Independent on Sunday, the Daily Mail, the New Statesman and the Evening Standard magazine."
Source: http://www.andrewwilsonauthor.co.uk/d...
"I'm a journalist and author. My work has appeared in the Guardian, the Washington Post, the Daily Telegraph, the Observer, the Sunday Times, the Independent on Sunday, the Daily Mail, the New Statesman and the Evening Standard magazine."
Source: http://www.andrewwilsonauthor.co.uk/d...
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
November 26, 2021
I've never read such a middlingly written biography, about a pretty disgusting person, that left me so inspired. The writing itself started off incredibly weak, meandering widely and trying to make a point (poorly made) about Robbins' penchant for lying about his childhood. Wilson started chapters off with his own attempt at a Robbins-esque style which I found grating. Robbins himself left no diaries, writings, and yes, lied a lot, which in Wilson's defense, makes writing his biography difficult.
Thankfully it got better. (I was about to set it aside.) Glad I didn't, because the subject, Robbins, and his place in writing is pretty fascinating: a person with little talent and regard for literature who ended up being the most widely read author of the latter part of the 20th century. An unattractive nobody who ended up living out the outrageously hedonistic lifestyle portrayed in his books, surrounded by yachts, mansions, 2 foot-wide bowls of cocaine, and perpetual orgies. A person with sheer will to make money became the richest author of his time. And a man who will most likely, year after year, disappear into the footnotes of writing history.
Robbins chronicled and mirrored American life, charting its radical change from the 40s to the end of the century. He didn't invent sex, but he was a step ahead of his audience, shocking them with his four-letter words, brutality, and smut smut smut. Then the world caught up to him. (BTW the man was a pig and by today's standards would be serving time in jail for the groping and sexual predation he inflicted on the opposite sex.)
But putting aside the ignominious aspects of Robbins the man, as a humble writer myself (incredibly unsuccessful comparatively), I was fascinated by the choices a creator made in his path to being read, being famous, and being very rich. Robbins didn't care one bit about art. He could churn out 35 pages a day and never owned a red pen in his life. He had a pinch of talent and a mountain of drive.
It makes me wonder what we, each of us, are capable of if we stop worrying about creating masterpieces. In a weird way, I found this book to be one of the most inspiring 'writing' books I've ever read.
I have no desire to be 'rich' or famous. But I would like to rid myself of the censor that lives in the writer's brain who proclaims "it's not good enough" and churn projects out while screaming "fuck 'em." The "it's not good enough" part of Robbin's brain was totally missing. And talent - smalent! He may be the apotheosis of this wicked wisdom. In this way, Wilson's biography was more of a motivational writing manual slash book marketing for dummies. As one of his friends said, "He was no artist, but he was miraculously driven. And that in itself is a kind of art."
Thankfully it got better. (I was about to set it aside.) Glad I didn't, because the subject, Robbins, and his place in writing is pretty fascinating: a person with little talent and regard for literature who ended up being the most widely read author of the latter part of the 20th century. An unattractive nobody who ended up living out the outrageously hedonistic lifestyle portrayed in his books, surrounded by yachts, mansions, 2 foot-wide bowls of cocaine, and perpetual orgies. A person with sheer will to make money became the richest author of his time. And a man who will most likely, year after year, disappear into the footnotes of writing history.
Robbins chronicled and mirrored American life, charting its radical change from the 40s to the end of the century. He didn't invent sex, but he was a step ahead of his audience, shocking them with his four-letter words, brutality, and smut smut smut. Then the world caught up to him. (BTW the man was a pig and by today's standards would be serving time in jail for the groping and sexual predation he inflicted on the opposite sex.)
But putting aside the ignominious aspects of Robbins the man, as a humble writer myself (incredibly unsuccessful comparatively), I was fascinated by the choices a creator made in his path to being read, being famous, and being very rich. Robbins didn't care one bit about art. He could churn out 35 pages a day and never owned a red pen in his life. He had a pinch of talent and a mountain of drive.
It makes me wonder what we, each of us, are capable of if we stop worrying about creating masterpieces. In a weird way, I found this book to be one of the most inspiring 'writing' books I've ever read.
I have no desire to be 'rich' or famous. But I would like to rid myself of the censor that lives in the writer's brain who proclaims "it's not good enough" and churn projects out while screaming "fuck 'em." The "it's not good enough" part of Robbin's brain was totally missing. And talent - smalent! He may be the apotheosis of this wicked wisdom. In this way, Wilson's biography was more of a motivational writing manual slash book marketing for dummies. As one of his friends said, "He was no artist, but he was miraculously driven. And that in itself is a kind of art."
May 31, 2009
Wilson hews to an explicitly stated premise, namely that Harold Robbins only ever cared about money, which is disproven by most facts Wilson relates. Robbins only quit his day job after his fourth book, and even that was a gamble. (How much of a gamble is unclear, since Wilson either doesn't know or doesn't tell us what Robbins' day job paid.) He was a devoted family man and friend who took months off to care for a friend who had cancer. He called writing "The most fun you can have by yourself except masturbating." Yes, after he succumbed to drugs (originally taken to increase his writing output) he became crazy and demanding, and yes he was competitive. But to look at his bizarre and interesting life and see someone always looking out for a dime just seems strange, and maybe anti-Semitic. Wilson certainly doesn't provide any other reason to believe his argument. Great title, though.
April 14, 2014
I thought I'd rated/reviewed this book when I first read it a couple years ago. I thought it was a fascinating look at the world of a celebrity writer, and the perils of too much fame, too much money and cynical ambition. Why is one writer a best seller, and another not? Why is crap often king?
January 13, 2019
Harold Robbins certainly wasn’t a stylist, but in massive best sellers such as "The Adventurers" and "The Carpetbaggers" his narrative drive was obvious. In "Harold Robbins: The Man Who Invented Sex," Andrew Wilson writes a biography even the subject would delight in as exceptionally entertaining. Wilson notes among much other interesting data that Robbins sold more than 750 million books and earned more than $50 million, yet he died more than $1 million in debt. "Goodbye, Janette," “the dirtiest of Harold’s dirty books,” had, in 1981, the largest advance sale to that point in publishing history.
Other interesting biographies I recommend of popular novelists include "Inside Peyton Place: The Life of Grace Metalious" by Emily Toth, "The Life of Ian Fleming" by John Pearson and "Lovely Me: The Life of Jacqueline Susann" by Barbara Seaman.
Other interesting biographies I recommend of popular novelists include "Inside Peyton Place: The Life of Grace Metalious" by Emily Toth, "The Life of Ian Fleming" by John Pearson and "Lovely Me: The Life of Jacqueline Susann" by Barbara Seaman.
January 4, 2021
Harold Robbins is one of the top 10 highest selling authors ever. His sexy paperback novels rode the sexual revolution. Once his brand name was established, ghost writers took over. Harold focused on pursuing impulsive pleasures (gambling, drugs, but not as much sex as you might expect). He had different children with different women, but never spent much quality time with them. And despite the astronomical sales, he spent nearly all of it in his life time, and left relatively little to his offspring.
April 5, 2022
Exhaustively detailed biography of the sex/glam/pulpish author Harold Robbins. Took me a while to get through the book but worth it taking a break to read another book and return to see the latest in Harold's decadent life like the characters he wrote about.
Like his characters, Harold's life was somewhat rags (though not as rags as he told tales about) to riches, then back to rags where he started. He had a great time in his life partying like a rock star. The book takes the reader to a past era where people read more, and books had a more prominent role in culture.
Like his characters, Harold's life was somewhat rags (though not as rags as he told tales about) to riches, then back to rags where he started. He had a great time in his life partying like a rock star. The book takes the reader to a past era where people read more, and books had a more prominent role in culture.
May 10, 2025
At one time the most successful - in terms of books sold - author in the world, Robbins is now something of a forgotten man. When I looked this week, I couldn't find any of his books at my local library, which is harsh given that other authors who followed his lead (potboilers lashed with explicit sex) are still in circulation. His life is a salutary tale of the effects that cocaine addiction and fame can have on the body and ego.
August 15, 2019
A very revealing bio of one of the most flamboyant writers of our time. Interesting stories and some fun Robbins-esque stylistic twists by Wilson made this enjoyable and fun. Sadly, learning more about Robbins and his life left me disgusted with the guy, but I can't fault the author for that.
June 12, 2012
Well now, when reviewing this book I have to be careful to differentiate between the author's handling of the material and the material, the life of Harold Robbins, itself.
First, I will say that the cover illustration is PERFECT for this book. I saw it from across the library and picked it up as soon as I could. The furtive glances from people in cafes and on buses let me know I was not alone in being intrigued.
Because of the work that I do, Sexual Freedom Fighting, I had a personal investment in understanding the world that made Harold Robbins a very rich man while simultaneously looking down on him for his purported lifestyle and subject matter.
Andrew Wilson used an element of Robbins' own writing style (he liked to go from first to third person story telling within the same novel - Wilson switched between narrative and editorial styles) to relate this story which was entertaining. I finished it in just a few sittings.
And while he seems to have reported the various impressions of those that actually knew Robbins without judgement, overall there appeared to be some conclusions made about Robbins subject matter. Call sexually explicit narratives 'filth' certainly tells people where you are coming from on the matter. That said, I got more than a few hard to find statements from famous writers on the subject of Sexuality and social consciousness.
So, well done and thank you Andrew Wilson.
First, I will say that the cover illustration is PERFECT for this book. I saw it from across the library and picked it up as soon as I could. The furtive glances from people in cafes and on buses let me know I was not alone in being intrigued.
Because of the work that I do, Sexual Freedom Fighting, I had a personal investment in understanding the world that made Harold Robbins a very rich man while simultaneously looking down on him for his purported lifestyle and subject matter.
Andrew Wilson used an element of Robbins' own writing style (he liked to go from first to third person story telling within the same novel - Wilson switched between narrative and editorial styles) to relate this story which was entertaining. I finished it in just a few sittings.
And while he seems to have reported the various impressions of those that actually knew Robbins without judgement, overall there appeared to be some conclusions made about Robbins subject matter. Call sexually explicit narratives 'filth' certainly tells people where you are coming from on the matter. That said, I got more than a few hard to find statements from famous writers on the subject of Sexuality and social consciousness.
So, well done and thank you Andrew Wilson.
June 10, 2011
Had this out of the library two or three years back and only skimmed through it - now I've bought a copy on eBay and am going to make a proper job of reading it, my interest in Robbins having been piqued again by reading NEVER LEAVE ME and re-reading NEVER LOVE A STRANGER, as well as Michael Korda's comments about Robbins in his book ANOTHER LIFE.
Gotta love the references to Robbins as “the godfather of the airport novel,” the “Onassis of supermarket literature,” and, in reference to the speed at which Robbins was once capable of churning out a book, “the man with the smoking typewriter.”
6/10: This book goes beyond the myths Robbins created about his life (so successfully that they were still being repeated in his obituaries). Robbins' novels helped to push the envelope and expand the boundaries of sexuality in poular fiction. He established himself as a popular storyteller but became so addicted to living a jet-set lifestyle (women, cars, drugs, women, yachts, homes, women, drugs) that ultimately he couldn't churn out his particular brand of sexed-up potboilers fast enough, and by the time he was slammed with the casualties of old age, both his talent and his audience had deserted him. He had spent his way through something like $50 million.
Gotta love the references to Robbins as “the godfather of the airport novel,” the “Onassis of supermarket literature,” and, in reference to the speed at which Robbins was once capable of churning out a book, “the man with the smoking typewriter.”
6/10: This book goes beyond the myths Robbins created about his life (so successfully that they were still being repeated in his obituaries). Robbins' novels helped to push the envelope and expand the boundaries of sexuality in poular fiction. He established himself as a popular storyteller but became so addicted to living a jet-set lifestyle (women, cars, drugs, women, yachts, homes, women, drugs) that ultimately he couldn't churn out his particular brand of sexed-up potboilers fast enough, and by the time he was slammed with the casualties of old age, both his talent and his audience had deserted him. He had spent his way through something like $50 million.
April 14, 2012
I bought this for £1 in a pound shop as it looked like it might be interesting. I'd heard of Harold Robbins before reading it, but have never read any of his books and don't remember seeing any of the film and TV adaptations.
I found this biography an interesting read and very involving, even though I found Robbins himself unpleasant and definitely not someone I'd want to be stuck in a lift with!
Andrew Wilson writes in way that draws Robbins and those around him "warts and all", but still manages to make them as interesting and sympathetic as they can be. He also shows us the state of contemporary culture while Robbins was writing - I was particularly interested in the link to the Lady Chatterly case here in the UK, and how Robbins' explicit writing was viewed at the time of its publication.
The book is well worth a read for anyone interested in writers and writing, even if (like me) you aren't interested in reading Robbins' work itself.
I found this biography an interesting read and very involving, even though I found Robbins himself unpleasant and definitely not someone I'd want to be stuck in a lift with!
Andrew Wilson writes in way that draws Robbins and those around him "warts and all", but still manages to make them as interesting and sympathetic as they can be. He also shows us the state of contemporary culture while Robbins was writing - I was particularly interested in the link to the Lady Chatterly case here in the UK, and how Robbins' explicit writing was viewed at the time of its publication.
The book is well worth a read for anyone interested in writers and writing, even if (like me) you aren't interested in reading Robbins' work itself.
September 11, 2013
I can't fault the veracity and I can't fault the research. But I can fault the entertainment value. Somehow this deserved just a little more spark - this is Harold Robbins after all. The accelerator should have planted, the martini should have been VERY large, and some broad should have been having a meltdown in the kitchen... before taking her bikini off. I feel like this book wanted to go there, but in the end was just a little too stitched up to do it. Harold would have left this on the dock at St Tropez.
October 31, 2011
This was an excellent biography of the author who brought sexy stories to a whole new level. I may not have agreed with his viewpoint on a few opinions of the novels themselves but the research put into this work was outstanding and the quality of the writing was top notch.
If you enjoy a good biography of a popular author read this one.
If you enjoy a good biography of a popular author read this one.
July 8, 2012
Apart from the first 200 & something pages being so unflowingly put together this book wasnt bad in the end. I would've liked more in-depth personal accounts of H.R. but it just seemed to me that he was very similar to his characters; fake, shallow, unhinged and possibly inhuman.
February 22, 2011
Good read about a debauched, pervy, writer of crap who did a great deal of cocaine, spent all his money on the high life and chasing tail around the world and died in debt. As it should be.
December 9, 2016
A good read on someone who changed the fiction storylines....
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews