The Hiltons

From New York Times bestselling biographer J. Randy Taraborrelli comes an engrossing and revealing portrait of the Hilton dynasty.

THE HILTONS is a fascinating no-holds-barred account of the American industrial giant who built the world's greatest hotel empire and his always larger-than-life family.

Demanding and enigmatic patriarch Conrad Hilton's visionary ideas and unyielding will established the model for the modern luxury hotel industry. But outside the boardroom Conrad struggled with emotional detachment failed marriages and conflicted Catholicism.

Then there are the Hilton children. Playboy Nicky's tragic alcoholism and passionate but abusive relationship with Elizabeth Taylor was the stuff of tabloid legend. Serious Barron on the other hand deftly handled his father's legacy carrying the Hilton brand triumphantly into the new millennium. Eric raised apart from his older brothers accepted his supporting role in the Hilton dynasty with calm and quiet - a stark contrast to the boys' much younger half-sister Francesca whose battle for recognition led her into courtrooms and conflict.

The cast of supporting players includes the inimitable Zsa Zsa Gabor who was married to Conrad briefly but remained a thorn in his side for decades; a young Donald Trump; and a host of other Hollywood and business luminaries with whom the Hiltons crossed paths and swords over the years.

THE HILTONS is a sweeping saga of the success - and excess - of an iconic and only-in-America family dynasty.