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Unscripted

The Epic Battle for a Hollywood Media Empire

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Unscripted

By: James B. Stewart, Rachel Abrams
Narrated by: Robert Petkoff
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Summary

Brought to you by Penguin.

Sumner Redstone was the CEO of Hollywood's most influential company: the powerhouse behind Indiana Jones and Star Wars, film studios and TV production companies, a fleet of private jets and tailor-made jewellery lines. He was notorious for his fearsome temper, his all-consuming ambition and his pledge to live forever. Until, one day, he lost control.

Unscripted is the story of an empire embroiled in scandal, a will in tatters, and a family on the edge of self-destruction. It sounds too outrageous to be true - except it is.

Longlisted for the Financial Times Business Book of the Year Award

'Explosive' Esquire
'Epic' Financial Times
'Riveting' Vanity Fair

©2023 James B. Stewart & Rachel Abrams (P)2023 Penguin Audio

 Business Entertainment & Performing Arts Film & TV Professionals & Academics Workplace & Organisational Behavior Workplace Culture
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Critic reviews

A racy tale of big money, bigger egos and #MeToo disgrace . . . Like a real-life blueprint for the TV show Succession
Jaw-dropping . . . an epic tale of toxic wealth and greed populated by connivers and manipulators. (Editor's Choice)
Sex and power were the abiding obsessions of the colourful media mogul Sumner Redstone, whose life and career only became more bizarre as he aged and family and friends sought to get their hands on his empire. The saga helped inspire the HBO series Succession; this deeply reported account shows the truth was, if anything, stranger.
A real-life Succession . . . A deeply reported account of one of the trashiest episodes in recent business history . . . Masterful.
Has a business book ever made you blush? . . . With soap-operatic twists and turns, Unscripted makes the amped-up historical fiction of Babylon feel downright chaste by comparison
The sordid family saga that makes Succession look tame
Addicted to Succession? Well, here's the real thing.
The riveting, Succession-esque tale of the fight for control of Paramount Global
Imagine a mash-up of King Lear and Weekend at Bernie's the 1989 movie comedy about two scamps who prop up a cadaver so they can enjoy a weekend at his beach house, with Redstone starring in both title roles.
An explosive new page-turner . . . The sordid family saga that makes Succession look tame.
All stars
Most relevant
It does read like a telenovela but I enjoyed it and I would recommend it

Very interesting

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Excellent journalism and perfect for an audiobook. It was like listening to Succession. Highly recommend.

Fascinating.

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The book has a very strong middle part detailing the insane plotting of people trying to gain better standing in Redstone’s will. All the characters are disgusting, including Sumner himself, making it feel much like Succession, at times even surpassing the wonderful show in its horridness.

Unfortunately the last third of the book focusing on Les Moonves is less captivating and was a struggle to get through with needlessly detailed depictions of endless boardroom maneuvering amidst metoo fallout. Still worth it for the first 2/3.

Succession but crazier

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I read Disney Wars by the same author because the creator of Succession referenced it as an influence and I loved it. This book is a bit more salacious but still an engrossing story that’s well told.

Gossipy but a great read

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This story is shocking, unbelievable and gasp inducing. Thankfully a completely different world to the one most of us live in.
It’ll have you hooked & is well worth a listen.

Unbelievable

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