The Fall of Conrad Black

He was the world's most notorious media tycoon. Unapologetic about his right wing agenda, corporate maneuvers and lavish lifestyle, Conrad Black seemed untouchable with a seat in the House of Lords and a newspaper empire that spanned three continents. In the fall of 2003 his carefully constructed world came tumbling down when his company accused him of siphoning millions of dollars of corporate money. He now found himself targeted by U.S. regulators, ridiculed as 'King Conrad' by his own board and a self-described 'pariah' among the rich and famous he once called his friends. Journalists Jacquie McNish and Sinclair Stewart have dug deep into Black's career by interviewing leading players and gaining behind-the-scenes accounts of his corporate moves. Their gripping story gives the most in-depth account of how the owner of Hollinger International Inc., whose newspapers included the Daily Telegraph, Jerusalem Post and Chicago Sun Times, was outsmarted by a small, unassuming group of U.S. shareholders.
The authors reveal how this modern-day Citizen Kane ran his company like a fiefdom for years They examine the press baron's ruthless rise to power, his old-boy networking to gain a British peerage, his high-profile marriage to glamorous right-wing socialite Barbara Amiel and the fortune they spent on society parties, private jets, servants, priceless jewels, rare artifacts and multi-million dollar mansions in London, Palm Beach, Park Avenue and Toronto.