Barbarians at the Gate: The Fall of RJR Nabisco

Who would've thought a book detailing the buyout of a tobacco and biscuit company would be so hard to put down.
“There are three rules on Wall Street. Never play by the rules. Never tell the truth. Never pay in cash.”
this book gives incredible insight into the world of modern finance and the egos that play into them. More relevant than ever today, can't reccomend this book enough

I had to abandon it halfway through. It's 600 pages of finance drama, but it could have been compressed to 200 or 300 pages. I just couldn't bear to read the 4th chapter-length backstory of someone who'd turn out to be not too important to the story.

In more places than most, history tends to rhyme on Wall Street. No event is without precedent. No player is new on the scene. And that is why it is critically important to understand the history of corporate America. Mistakes that were made in the 1980's will be repeated in the 20's. Fantastic book with unbelievable access. I can't believe so many people chose to share their experiences, thoughts, arguments, etc. so soon after the fact. Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in business history.

Crazy tale of greed, envy, politics, machismo, and more greed - the true story of the financial shark feeding-frenzy that was the LBO of RJR Nabisco in the '80s.