"Robbins eroticized commerce, and, at the same time, he commercialized erotica, dashing into a rich new market for dirty books." — The New Yorker

"Robbins' dialogue is moving . . . his people have the warmth of life." — The New York Times

Taking on the free love hippie culture of the '60s, Harold Robbins spins a masterful tale of lust, greed, lurid sex and ambition. This classic, which spent almost 30 weeks on The New York Times best sellers list, shows the passion of youth and the power of exposing societal taboo.

Gareth Brendan, a war-weary Vietnam veteran, returns home to California to find that the country he risked his life for changed dramatically during his tour. When he's unable to find a job, his shady yet powerful uncle hands him a failing underground newspaper to run as a money-laundering front. Gareth quickly realizes he can use the circular as an outlet for the radical ideas he'd formed in Vietnam. To gain an audience, Gareth turns to the golden rule: SEX SELLS—and he transforms the local ad rag into a glossy, full-colored, in-your-face porn magazine never before seen, with cover girls and high-profile interviews every month.

Quickly gaining fame and wealth from his paper, Gareth is rocketed to the highest echelons of society with all its accoutrements along with a vast empire of casinos, clubs, movies, magazines and an entourage of models and pimps who cater to the ultrarich. But Gareth's success comes at a price—it makes him the target of a ruthless crime syndicate who will stop at nothing to hijack his holdings.

From the author of The New York Times #1 best seller The Carpetbaggers, Dreams Die First continues to transport readers—with an explosive story—to a glittering, dangerous world of decadence, power, S&M, mega-wealth, sexual liberation and New Age sex cults.