Title

Dossier : the secret history of Armand Hammer

Description

Edward Jay Epstein's investigation into the life of Armand Hammer exposes a tale of fraud, corruption, and personal betrayal that was carried out on such a grand scale and over such a long period of time that it is surely unique. Hammer was ninety-two when he died in 1990. A lengthy front-page obituary in The New York Times lauded him as a successful businessman "who long sought peace between the United States and the Soviet Union and financed research for a cancer cure." His philanthropy was noted, along with his vast art collection and his elevated social connections. But the official version of Hammer's life, which incorporated many of the major figures and key events of the twentieth century, was in fact a myth, carefully nurtured and embellished for nearly seventy years.Aided by newly available sources, Epstein has put together a gripping portrait of a ruthless, audaciously manipulative opportunist whose self-inventions have until now been widely accepted. Epstein gained unprecedented access to FBI files, SEC documents, and files on the Hammer family kept by Soviet intelligence agencies since the 1920's. He interviewed Hammer's mistresses, family, and close friends as well as the shadowy figures who assisted him in business deals. During his investigation, Epstein discovered that for many years Hammer had, like Richard Nixon, secretly taped conversations, many of them dealing with illegal activity. These tapes give an intimate view of a master con man at work.

Identifier

597563

679448020

Creator

Epstein, Edward Jay

Format

1. ed.

Contributor

Hammer, Armand

Source

Brian Lamb Booknotes Collection

Gift of Brian Lamb, 2011.

Catalog record

Language

eng

Date

1996

Program air date: January 5, 1997.

Publisher

Random House

George Mason University. Libraries. Special Collections & Archives

Text

Transcription of Annotations
Front end papers: Contributions made to charity with connections to politicians i.e. White House redecoration $20,00, p. 32; Lenin 5'3", Hammer 5'7"; Friendships with Al Gore, Sr./ Howard Baker; J. Ed. Hoover "another bunch"; Swiss slush fund; Board members--unsigned letters of resignation; Marvin Watson, Tim Babcock.

Subject

"Hammer, Armand, 1898-1990."

"Businesspeople--United States--Biography."

"Capitalists and financiers--United States--Biography."

"Statesmen--United States--Biography."

Relation

Original Booknotes interview

Rights

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