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Barbarians at the Gate cover art

Barbarians at the Gate

By: Bryan Burrough, John Helyar
Narrated by: Eric Jason Martin
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Summary

“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

What listeners say about Barbarians at the Gate

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Brilliantly read.

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.

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Seminal tale of wall street greed and unabridged!

Excellent book that deserves to be listened to (or read) unabridged, incredibly well researched by the WSJ authors, full of interesting characters, compelling story and very very tense!

No wanting to give any spoilers this is a cautionary tale about corporate greed of individuals especially in connection with leveraged buyouts where regardless of the ultimate "success" of a LBO the level of debt loaded onto even well run, venerated and successful institutions (see Manchester United F.C.) can seriously inhibit, hinder and ultimately ruin them at the expense of the business and the livelihoods of those working for them. It's pretty demoralising but still prescient today.

The narration is excellent my only criticism is that the authors obviously have their own agenda which can feed into the narrative for instance Henry Kravis is positively portrayed throughout etc. Presumably he was their main source of infromation and access once the dust had settled.

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Masterclass

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

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I wish I read it years ago!

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.

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Fantastic insights into the greed of business

Very well written and captivating story. Having been involved in a LR acquisition it made more sense of the craziness

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

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.

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Gripping

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

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Glad I read this classic

Been meaning to read Barbarians for years and wasn't disappointed. Still as relevant today as ever.

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Truly excellent

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

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Great book

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

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