Barbarians at the Gate: The Fall of RJR Nabisco

A core interest of the book lies in exploring the role of individual personalities in shaping the economic fates of thousands and even millions of people. Indeed, one could argue that poor decision-making and excessive risk-taking on Wall Street affect the whole country and reverberate throughout the world. The authors’ objective is to highlight the extent to which pride, competitiveness, and personal grudges among a small group of people in the upper echelons of the social hierarchy shaped the lives of millions. 

For this purpose, Burrough and Helyar construct extensive biographies of such individuals as RJR Nabisco’s CEO Ross Johnson and KKR head Henry Kravis, treating these corporate leaders almost as literary characters. Indeed, this book may also be considered Johnson’s biography, because he is at the center of RJR Nabisco’s transformation and buyout action, and the authors pay him the greatest attention. Johnson occupies the center of the story, while the others radiate around him. Johnson’s brash personality and “playboy” lifestyle make him a charismatic figure, loved by his acolytes and loathed by his rivals, and his magnetic personality drives much of the action of the book.

Next, the bidding war for RJR Nabisco exacerbated interpersonal tensions and ruined friendships.