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Barbarians at the Gate: The Fall of RJR Nabisco
Barbarians at the Gate The Fall of RJR Nabisco
Author: Bryan Burrough, John Helyar
The fight to control RJR Nabisco during October and November of 1988 was more than just the largest takeover in Wall Street history. Marked by brazen displays of ego not seen in American business for decades, it became the high point of a new gilded age, and its repercussions are still being felt. The ultimate story of greed and glory, Barbar...  more » is the gripping account of these two frenzied months, of deal makers and publicity flaks, of an old-line industrial powerhouse that became the victim of the ruthless and rapacious style of finance in the 1980s. Written with the bravado of a novel and researched with the diligence of a sweeping cultural history, here is the unforgettable story of the takeover in all its brutality.
ISBN-13: 9780061655555
ISBN-10: 0061655554
Publication Date: 12/1/2009
Pages: 624
Edition: Reprint
Rating:
  • Currently 3.5/5 Stars.
 1

3.5 stars, based on 1 rating
Publisher: Harper Paperbacks
Book Type: Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover, Audio CD
Members Wishing: 0
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

reviewed Barbarians at the Gate: The Fall of RJR Nabisco on + 404 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Compelling.
reviewed Barbarians at the Gate: The Fall of RJR Nabisco on + 39 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Barbarians at the Gate by Bryan Burrough and John Helyar.

This tsunami of details in this story of the leveraged buy-out of RJR Nabisco would be mind-numbing if it were not for the sharp anger at the incessant and insatiable greed it highlights.

One feels an eerie sense of déjà vu reading this book. The RJR Nabisco takeover battle was fought in 1988, but the unmitigated (and unregulated) greed on the part of Wall Street seems to only have changed in form, not in magnitude. It borders (then and now) on the obscene.

This book is not for the faint of heart the reader is led step-by-step, moment-by-moment through the byzantine world of leveraged buy outs. Keeping track of names, financial institutions, and esoteric details regarding the Alice in Wonderland nature of the financial world requires constant vigilance. This book is for the dedicated, persistent, or patient reader. Nevertheless, as the basic characters in this drama are interesting, maddening, and full of hubris. Those with an economics/business background will likely find this a telling and important read.
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reviewed Barbarians at the Gate: The Fall of RJR Nabisco on + 6 more book reviews
Detailed,well written story of how rich people buy and sell companies without conscience.
buzzby avatar reviewed Barbarians at the Gate: The Fall of RJR Nabisco on + 6062 more book reviews
Quite readable, reads like a mystery.
reviewed Barbarians at the Gate: The Fall of RJR Nabisco on + 19 more book reviews
At first, when I saw it was 544 pages, I wondered if it would hold my interest. I had at one time been a business and financial news reporter for a major daily prior to when this took place so I plunged in. It is a fascinating account where millions are thrown about like dollar bills. So yes, it was worth the read.


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