The Dark Side of Power: The Real Armand Hammer

The astonishing story behind Armand Hammer, hailed at the time of his death as one of the greatest entrepreneurs of all time, friend of royalty and of the great statesmen of the 20th century. Carl Blumay was both his public relations consultant and Director of Public Relations at Occidental, and was the chief architect of the carefully crafted public image that Hammer played to perfection on the world stage. At his death on 10th December 1990, Armand Hammer, multimillionaire industrialist, was saluted as not only a great businessman, but also as an art collector and philanthropist, and was the recipient of countless humanitarian awards. Noted, too, were his friendships with presidents, kings, and princes, and his self-appointed role as a peacemaker with unparalleled access to the leaders of the Soviet Union. The world, it was said, would never see the likes of Armand Hammer again. This book includes startling revelations about his marriages and tormented family relationships, his shrewd and ruthless business deals, his sly maneuvers to win political favours from five American presidents, his self-serving manipulation of the media, his bribery schemes, and his many brushes with the law.