Barbarians at the Gate: The Fall of RJR Nabisco

a book

Barbarians at the Gate: The Fall of RJR Nabisco

J. Helyar B. Burrough · 2005 · 576 pages

THE BESTSELLER THAT DEFINED AN AGE, NOW WITH A NEW FOREWORD

From two award-winning business journalists comes the rollicking tale of one of the largest corporate takeovers in American history

'The most bizarre financial mock-epic of our age. Read it open-mouthed; wonder and shudder' Independent

'One of the best business books of all time' Economist

The fight to control food and tobacco giant 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, Barbarians at the Gate 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.

'A soap opera of greed and clashing egos' New York Times

recommended by 7 people

sourced from public statements

books like Barbarians at the Gate: The Fall of RJR Nabisco

other books recommended by the same people who recommend this one

  1. Liar’s Poker

    Liar’s Poker

    Michael Lewis

    3 shared recommenders

  2. Creativity, Inc. (The Expanded Edition): Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration

    Creativity, Inc. (The Expanded Edition): Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration

    Ed Catmull

    2 shared recommenders

  3. Red Notice: A True Story of High Finance, Murder, and One Man's Fight for Justice

    Red Notice: A True Story of High Finance, Murder, and One Man's Fight for Justice

    Bill Browder

    2 shared recommenders

  4. Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike

    Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike

    Phil Knight

    2 shared recommenders

  5. The Fish That Ate the Whale

    The Fish That Ate the Whale

    Rich Cohen

    2 shared recommenders

  6. Who Is Michael Ovitz?

    Who Is Michael Ovitz?

    Michael Ovitz

    2 shared recommenders

  7. Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World

    Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World

    David J. Epstein

    2 shared recommenders

  8. The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers

    The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers

    Ben Horowitz

    2 shared recommenders