The Asylum of Howard Hughes

By Jack G. Real

Book Overview

Howard Hughes, once the wealthiest man in the world. Handsome. Daring. Reclusive. Movie producer. Aviation pioneer. Then one fateful day his plane crashed and his world was one of pain. He found... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1413408753
• ISBN13: 9781413408751
• Release Date: September 2003
• Publisher: Xlibris
• Length: 308 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.5" x 8.8"

Customer Reviews

Looked Forward to this Book

Met Mr. Real before his death when he was writting this book, I told him I had photos of Howard Hughes Hotel room, he became very interested, gave me a private tour of the Spruce Goose. I looked forward to his book.

He was there

Author Jack Real has written a fascinating book about his personal friend and employer, Howard Hughes. Real writes from the unique position as the only person outside the "Mormon mafia" to see and interact with Hughes personally, almost daily for the last few years of Hughes' life. He was perhaps the only person Howard Hughes completely trusted and considered to be a loyal friend for his last 20 years on earth. Ultimately, Real's own story left me wondering if Hughes' trust was well placed. I read the last half of Real's book with an overwhelming sense of frustration and tragedy. Real devotes a sizable portion of his book detailing the deceptions, manipulations, and maneuverings of his nemesis, another Hughes employee, named Bill Gay. Real relates the details of how Gay systematically seized power within the Hughes empire, then moved on to control nearly every aspect of Hughes' daily personal life, including keeping Hughes addicted to drugs so Gay could run the empire unimpeded. Real witnessed all of this first hand, he was supposedly Hughes' trusted confidant and friend, yet he took no action to thwart Gay and have him fired -- despite Hughes specifically instructing Real to do so on numerous occasions. Real's only excuse for not taking action to remove Gay from power is that Gay supposedly "knew too much", and releasing him would be a liability. This seems like a pretty flimsy excuse coming from a guy who Hughes had entrusted to facilitate a multitude of complex tasks (business and personal) on his behalf. It appears that a key piece of the story is missing, and Real doesn't come clean about what that is. Jack Real points the finger at Bill Gay (and his minions) for destroying Howard Hughes' health, and essentially neglecting him to death. But, it's Real -- not Gay (directly) -- who had personal access to Hughes on an almost daily basis. It's nice that Real was there to provide Hughes with some sense that he had a friend during those years of seclusion. Real was the only person perfectly positioned to rescue Hughes from the drugs and people who were destroying him -- tragically, he did nothing. He failed his friend and employer on what should have been his top priority task. Highly recommended reading for anyone interested in an authentic insider's story of Howard Hughes.

True picture of a Genius

A wonderful book. A realistic portrayal of the businessman we know as Howard Hughes. This book is not fluff. There is a rare glimpse of Hughes as a fanatic. I was amazed at his obsession and knowledge with airplanes. Some of his other business holdings surprised me. This story tells how money can insulate you from other people, but, at the same time, how the ones you hire can be a detriment to your growth. Recommended reading....fascinating life of Hughes.

An Insider's View of Howard Hughes

Howard Hughes has had many books written about his idiosyncrasies but few have written a story that gets inside the real Howard Hughes' head. Jack Real has given readers a look at Howard Hughes that has not been seen before. And the stories that Real spins with the help of writer Bill Yenne make for fascinating reading that is simply too difficult to make up -- it's got to be real. And Real it is.

Authoritative biography of Howard Hughes

A definitive biography of Howard Hughes by Jack Real, his most trusted confidant. "Money Secrets of the Rich and Famous" describes Jack Real as the man closest to Howard Hughes since the death of his father. Jack Real provides important details and dispells many of the untruths, exaggerations and rumors that surround the fascinating life of Howard Hughes. This biography exposes why the reclusive world of Howard Hughes was turned into an asylum. Highly recommended.