John Helyar Books

"The most bizarre financial mock-epic of our age. Read it open-mouthed; wonder and shudder." - "Independent". This is the story of the largest corporate take-over in American history. With a stake of $25 billion, the battle for the control of RJR Nabisco during October and November 1988 became a symbol of the greed and power-mongering of the eighties. This gripping narrative reveals the truth behind a Wall Street gamble that sent shock waves through the international business world. The rules were never pay in cash - never tell the truth - never play by the rules. "All the suspense of a first-rate thriller - one of the finest, most compelling accounts of what happened to corporate America and Wall Street in the 1980s." - "New York Times Book Review". For their coverage of the RJR Nabisco take-over, Burrough and Helyar received the prestigious Gerald Loeb Award for Distinguished Business and Financial Journalism.

A #1 New York Times bestseller 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 twenty 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.