Empire: A Tale of Obsession, Betrayal, and the Battle for an American Icon

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Empire THE UNTOLD STORY BEHIND THE BATTLE FOR THE ULTIMATE PRIZE "Great business writing and even greater gossip . . . [Pacelle] has great fun with the bizarre cast of characters who plot and connive against one anotherin what reads like a cross between film noir and a Harold Robbins novel." --Publishers Weekly "Empire is a fascinating and entertaining 'biography' of one of the twentieth century's greatest landmarks, complete with a cast of unsavory characters with egos and ambitions to match the Manhattan skyline. Pacelle gives a fine architectural and economic history of America since the Depression, but his lucid prose and gift for narrative make the book read like a first-rate mystery novel." --Ross King, author of Brunelleschi's Dome: How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented Architecture "In his well-crafted chronicle, Mitchell Pacelle captures the manic ambitions and outsized egos of the real estate tycoons who would own America's ultimate trophy property." --James Hirsch, author of Hurricane: The Miraculous Journey of Rubin CarterThe world's most famous skyscraper, the Empire State Building is an icon as immediately recognizable as the Eiffel Tower, the Great Pyramids, or the Taj Mahal; and for some of the world's most powerful men, it is the ultimate prize. From the day it was erected, it has been the object of obsession for the heads of empires, conjuring their most hidden vices. In a riveting chronicle of betrayal, revenge, family rivalry, and raw greed, award-winning journalist Mitchell Pacelle tells the compelling tale of the history of the Empire State Building and the battle for ownership which reveals the inner workings of a world of powerful, self-made men. Pacelle brings to life the colorful cast of characters involved-a dramatis personae including the most powerful players in the international real estate markets both old and new, including John Raskob and Pierre du Pont alongside Donald Trump, the Helmsleys, Peter Malkin, and the eccentric Japanese billionaire Hideki Yokoi. Before the tale is over, Yokoi will accuse his beloved illegitimate daughter of stealing the building from him, several participants will land in jail, one will die suddenly, and a tense legal standoff will leave the landmark in limbo. One of the most fascinating characters to emerge from this richly layered story is the building itself, with its legendary romances and suicides, its odd tenants, and the countless human triumphs and tragedies that have been played out within its towering walls.