This book is more than just a biography of William R. Hearst. It is so much more; it is a history of journalism, early American colonialism, and Cuban "independence" from Spanish rule. In fact, one can trace many of the innovations of the press back to--and credited to--Hearst because he raised the bar of competitive journalism in his time. Whyte eloquently states that it was a period when the newspaper business profited by the news, rather than advertising and special interest.Hearst realized his power to emphasize and shape events, like the Spanish American War. Yet following the war, he came to understand that, "It is not the critic who counts.... The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood." Depite his attempt to become the man in the arena, through his foray into politics, he did realize that one cannot write the news and make it at the same time. Many thought that Hearst was a ruthless character who was driven by power. One of his star journalists, Brisbane, once noted, "At the time I took the job... I thought Hearst didn't know much about the newspaper business. I was wrong. He had a great charm. He was very interesting, not only to men but to women... they loved to hear him talk."This book helps to dispel many of these myths in a thought-provoking and professional manner.