Barbarians at the Gate: The Fall of RJR Nabisco

Abstract

From two award-winning business journalists comes the whole bloody story of the largest corporate takeover in American history. The mighty battle for control of RJR Nabisco during October and November of 1988 was marked by brazen displays of ego not seen in American business for decades, and became the hallmark of a new gilded age. The repercussions are still to be felt - and dealt with. With a stake of $25 billion, it will go down in history as the ultimate tale of greed and glory - on Wall or any other street. Burrough and Heylar had extensive access to all the key figures involved throughout the two-month takeover operation. In Barbarians at the Gate their gripping narrative reveals just how an old-line powerhouse fell victim to the ruthless and rapacious style of the new high finance. The authors provide unvarnished portraits of the leading players in this huge power struggle: high-living Ross Johnson, Nabisco's hungry president who secretly set in motion the stampede to buy out the company; Henry Kravis, the leveraged-buyout king whose entry into the fray set off a completely unprecedented frenzy of acquisition; the desperate financiers at Shearson Lehman Hutton Inc. and First Boston Corp. Incisive, colourful and controversial, Barbarians at the gate uncovers the truth behind the material world of the Money men and their glamorous, often conspiring wives. It is vital reading for everyone interested in how today's world really works.

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