 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (February 2012) |
 First edition cover (publ. Trident Press) | |
| Author | Harold Robbins |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Trident Press |
Publication date | January 1, 1961 |
The Carpetbaggers is a 1961 bestselling novel by Harold Robbins, which was adapted into a 1964 film of the same title. The prequel Nevada Smith (1966) was also based on a character in the novel.
In the United States, the term "carpetbagger" refers to an outsider relocating to exploit locals.[1] It derives from postbellum Southern United States usage, where it referred specifically to opportunistic Northerners who flocked to the occupied southern states in hopes of increasing their political, financial and social power during the Reconstruction era. In Robbins' novel, the exploited territory is the film industry, and the newcomer is a wealthy heir to an industrial fortune who, like Howard Hughes, simultaneously pursued aviation and filmmaking avocations.