The son of a penniless Russian immigrant, Louis B. Mayer became the richest and most powerful film tycoon in Hollywood. As the tyrannical head of MGM, his was the imagination which launched a galaxy of stars, among them Katharine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy, Vivien Leigh, Clark Gable and Judy Garland - and his was the will which controlled their lives. In this biography, Charles Higham weaves an account based on research of the power struggles, scandals, creative successes and personal traumas which permeated Mayer's career. The author also wrote "Wallis" and "Elizabeth and Philip".