Hugh Hefner's Playboy: 1926-1979

The life and times of Hugh M. Hefner: An illustrated autobiography with highlights from Playboy’s first 25 years “A Renaissance man in the fullest sense of the word… It is the best history book the 21st century has so far produced.”
—The Independent, London

Released on the 60th anniversary of the magazine, this sumptuous six-volume anthology celebrates the decadence, sophistication, and wit of the original men’s magazine and its creator. His personal life and career—from cartoon-drawing childhood to astonishing success with Playboy—are revealed in the most intimate portrait ever. Hugh Hefner’s Playboy highlights the extraordinary years from 1953 to 1979, with a selection of each era’s spiciest centerfolds, but also pieces on art, design, architecture, and writing by literary icons Gore Vidal, Norman Mailer, Ian Fleming, and Ray Bradbury, as well as some Playboy interviews. The liberalism and civil rights debates in the magazine were nothing short of trailblazing—at a time when the notion of a black President was almost laughable.

A wealth of never-before-seen ephemera from Hefner’s personal archives includes original artwork, cartoons and correspondence, and a long autobiographical text about his youth, military service, early career as a cartoonist, numerous girlfriends, and eventual success with Playboy. A vast selection of personal photos—many previously unseen—include behind-the-scenes shots from the Playboy Mansion, Playboy Clubs, and the Big Bunny jet. This is the definitive history of Playboy and its legendary founder. First published in TASCHEN’s limited edition series—now available in this unlimited popular edition!