The Hearsts: An American Dynasty

by Judith Robinson

NEW CONDITION , SOFT GLOSSY COVER, TIGHT BINDING, NEW PAGES, GREAT CONDITION, COLLECTIBLE AND READY TO SHIP (BXX-620)

Genres: Biography

431 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1991

Reviews

[Kauther]

Quite informative, yet unimaginably boring. Having been able to finish it, I feel that there is nothing I cannot go through.

Along with the awful writing, there are parts of the book so besieged by long quotations, it felt like a commentary on the Hearst’s letters.

[Laura]

Since I first visited it over 20 years ago, I’ve been fascinated with Hearst Castle and the man who brought it into being. However - this book was not only riddled with errors / typos and extremely boring, it was not truly about the Hearsts. A more appropriate title would have indicated that the book is mainly about Phoebe alone- yes, including her interactions with her husband and son, but never really directly about them. She was a fascinating woman, but overall I was pretty disappointed with this one.

[Brian]

Excellent book on the beginnings of the Hearst dynasty. The book starts with George Hearst and his marriage to Phoebe Apperson. The book also delves a little into the life of their son, William Randolph Hearst, but this is mainly a biography of Phoebe. Though the reading can bog the reader down in some places, this book would be interesting to anyone with a passing interest in the Hearsts. The book quotes heavily from their letters to each other.

[Nicole Virtue]

This book spent many months as my night stand book. I purchased it at the Hearst Castle gift shop and every time I found time to read it I was transported back to the castle. The book can be dry but I found it immensely interesting. I really like how it focuses on Phoebe Hearst as the matriarch of the family.

[La]

You can't visit Hearst Castle and not want to learn more about the family. This was a good book with which to start. Robinson takes you back to George and Phobe Apperson Hearst and using letters, documents and interviews she tells the story of the family as they amass their fabulous wealth.