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Barbarians at the Gate

The Fall of RJR Nabisco

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Barbarians at the Gate

By: Bryan Burrough, John Helyar
Narrated by: Eric Jason Martin
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About this listen

“One of the finest, most compelling accounts of what happened to corporate America and Wall Street in the 1980s.” (New York Times Book Review)

A number-one New York Times best seller and arguably the best business narrative ever written, Barbarians at the Gate is the classic account of the fall of RJR Nabisco. An enduring masterpiece of investigative journalism by Bryan Burrough and John Helyar, it includes a new afterword by the authors that brings this remarkable story of greed and double-dealings up to date 20 years after the famed deal. The Los Angeles Times calls Barbarians at the Gate, “Superlative”. The Chicago Tribune raves, “It’s hard to imagine a better story...and it’s hard to imagine a better account.” And in an era of spectacular business crashes and federal bailouts, it still stands as a valuable cautionary tale that must be heeded.

©1989, 2009 Bryan Burrough, John Helyar (P)2021 HarperCollins Publishers 20th Century Modern Business Wall Street Business History

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All stars
Most relevant  
Epic and relevant description of greed and manipulation that is relevant throughout the history of humanity

Masterclass

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I read the book several years ago and finally decided to revisit the amazing story of Nabisco. The giants of finance are shown in all their flawed glory. Greed in all its facets are described. Probably the best finance book ever written and narrated really well.

Astounding

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Really well written and well narrated book. Fascinating content. At times I personally found it hard to keep up and track the characters. I think it would have helped if I knew more about these characters prior to reading the book. I would definitely get a lot more from it if I give it a second read in the future, but at around 20 hours this won't happen for a while as I have other books to prioritise. But for what it is, it's a fantastic book and so much great insight and detail.

Very interesting but helps if you have some prior knowledge of the companies and/or Wall Street...

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Excellent story of corporate growth and how the greed of bankers and advisors ultimately overtook the goal of growing a business. Great insight into the birth of LBO’s in the 80’s

Gripping

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loved this book, the authors narration was excellent and voice very pleasant to listen to. excellent tale of business history.

Great book

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A fantastic insight into not only the RJR LBO, but the LBO industry and how in finance just like with fashion we go through fads

Fantastic and still relevant

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A must read for anyone interested in business, finance or private equity. True life captures in incredible detail

Truly excellent

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A fantastic read. Highly recommend giving it a listen - it takes some complex subjects and negotiations and explains them in the most straightforward way. Really enjoyed listening.

Outstanding narrative for one of the craziest and most iconic Wall Street excursions in history

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Glad I waited for this full length version, read the book years ago and a lot of what happened then still applies today. There was a movie made a few years ago with James Garner (I think), but this is so ready for a remake! It has it all; drama, tension and even a bit of comedy. The authors did a fine job of telling this incredible story. Brilliant narrated too.

Brilliantly read.

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I loved each of the 22 hours listening of it. The description of the characters, their career history, their behaviour and inclinations are excellent. I met some similar personalities across my own career. Hence reading this book in the 90s would have helped me understand where and how business decisions, no matter how critical, are made or missed. It is written like a thriller, not like a traditional business book. The build-up to the exciting LBO adventure is excellent, the narrator doing a great job. I did not want to end. I would recommend the audible version, not sure I would have been able to keep up with the book format.

I wish I read it years ago!

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