HUGHES The Private Diaries, Memos and Letters

Movie mogul, ruthless industrialist, aviation pioneer, roué, spoiled brat, reclusive eccentric, madman--Howard Hughes was all of these. The aptly named Hack engagingly lays out enough sordid details of a totally selfish life to numb even the most prurient of interests. By and large, narrator Dan Cashman does a workmanlike job, though he's prone to odd phrasing and a kind of vocal trudging, as if he's very, very tired. Y.R. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/SEP 02]