The Almighty (published in 1982) by Irving Wallace - A power drunk man

Irving Wallace was born in Chicago, to Jewish parents,Bessie and Alexander Wallace Who had emigrated from Russia. He completed his studies in California and started out as a journalist at a tender age of 15. He studied creative writing at the Williams Institute in Berkley and from the mid-30s he worked as a free-lance correspondent. In 1941 he married Sylvia Kahn; they had two children. Irving Wallace served in the air force during world war two and later collaborated in several movies as a writer. His first book "Sins of Peter Fleming" did not attract much attention. But his second book influenced by the Kinsey report was a best seller. He has been a prolific churner of best sellers and his books have been adapted as major movies. He died on June 29, 1990.
The Almighty is the story of a man who becomes so drunk with power that he thinks that he can control everything in the world. This novel indicts the current news media which manipulates the news to boost its TRP's. As the number of information media increases, the customer thinks he is the king with his remote controls, but little does he realize the marketing tactics which subtly control his power.



Edward.J.Armstead, the son of Ezra Armstead, the media tycoon inherits his fathers riches which includes the newspaper, New York Record. But there is a catch to his inheritance, he can only call the paper his own if within a year he can surpass the circulation of the new York Times. Edward tired of being in his fathers shadow takes up the challenge of conquering and besting his father's achievements and starts with seducing his father's mistress, Kim Nesbit. He has no feeling for his invalid wife Hannah and his outdoorsy son Roger.
He recruits Victoria Weston who is the daughter of harry Weston, the White House Press Secretary and assigns her the crime beat under the tutelage of Nick Ramsey. She gets the scoop from a slimy informant, Gus Pagano about a tunnel under the prison. This news is utilized by Armstead who helps Sam Yinger, a death row inmate to escape from prison. Yinger tries to kill the defense attorney who sent him to prison and is saved by Victoria and the whole scoop is reported in the New York Record. This scoop helps the New York Record to zoom ahead of the New York Times consolidating Edwards inheritance.
Soon this incidence whets Edward hunger for more success. He develops a plan with his close associates to be the first one with the scoop. He organizes a gang who help him create and manipulate the news. And so begins the sinister chain of events, where this gang in the name of the terrorist Carlos undertake the kidnapping of the King of Spain, the UN secretary general and the Israeli PM. All this news is reported under the pseudonym Mark Bradshaw by Edward. AS the sales zoom up, Edward becomes reckless and plan more daring scheme. Soon things start going wrong, as the abduction of the Pope is foiled and other actions fail.
Victoria at first jealous of Bradshaw soon starts to suspect the veracity of these reports and along with Hannah Armstead and Kim Nesbit brings down the empire of Edward. In the end Edwards narcissism and greed for being the Almighty bring him down. A book for all ages and times which opens your eyes to the menace of selective news reporting. Read and understand the world information flow.