The SQUEEZE: Barbarians at the Gate: The Fall of RJR Nabisco is a non-fictional work about the bidding war that ensued between competitors. Bryan Burrough and John Helyar begin the narrative with F. Ross Johnson, the current CEO of the company. Johnson planned to buy out the Nabisco shareholders, but not before Henry Kravis discussed the option with the former. Kravis and his cousin, George R. Roberts, opposed Johnson’s bid for the company, with Kravis pioneering the concept of leveraged buyout (LBO). By the end of Barbarians at the Gate, Johnson loses his bid for the company and because of the LBO, the augmented buyout price contributes to the debt the company incurs.

Notable Endorsement: “The most piercing and compelling narrative of a deal to date.” –Boston Globe

Common Q’s Answered by this Book:

• What are “barbarians at the gate”?
• What is “leveraged buyout”?
• Who is F. Ross Johnson?
• Who is Henry Kravis?
• What is “augmented buyout price?
• Who is Ted Forstmann?

About the Author: An American author and correspondent for Vanity Fair, Bryan Burrough has written five books, including the aforementioned title: Vendetta: American Express and the Smearing of Edmond Safra (1992); Dragonfly (1998); Public Enemies (2004); and The Big Rich (2009). Burrough served as a reporter for the Wall Street Journal in Dallas, Texas and has been writing for Vanity Fair since 1992. Burrough is a three-time winner of the George Loeb Award; the award is usually given for excellence in financial journalism. For more information, visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryan_Burrough. John Helyar serves as a columnist for Bloomberg News. Writing for the Wall Street Journal and ESPN, Helyar has published Lords of the Realm: The Real History of Baseball. For more information, visit: http://www.businessweek.com/authors/1389-john-helyar.

Book Vitals:

Publisher: Harper Paperbacks (May 2003)