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Quick answer: If you loved Barbarians at the Gate, read Liar's Poker, The Smartest Guys in the Room, Den of Thieves and When Genius Failed. All tell true stories of Wall Street ego, big deals and spectacular collapses.
Bryan Burrough and John Helyar's classic recounts the 1988 fight to buy RJR Nabisco, the biggest leveraged buyout of its time, with larger-than-life executives and rival bankers. The books below share that blend of business, character and drama. All are nonfiction, and all are real, in-print books.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liar's Poker | Michael Lewis | Adult | the closest memoir |
| The Smartest Guys in the Room | Bethany McLean and Peter Elkind | Adult | corporate collapse |
| Den of Thieves | James B. Stewart | Adult | insider trading |
| When Genius Failed | Roger Lowenstein | Adult | hedge fund disaster |
| The Big Short | Michael Lewis | Adult | financial crisis |
| Too Big to Fail | Andrew Ross Sorkin | Adult | crisis insiders |
| All the Devils Are Here | Bethany McLean and Joe Nocera | Adult | big-picture crisis |
| The Predators' Ball | Connie Bruck | Adult | junk bond history |
| Flash Boys | Michael Lewis | Adult | high-frequency trading |
| The Greatest Trade Ever | Gregory Zuckerman | Adult | one big bet |
| House of Cards | William D. Cohan | Adult | Wall Street downfall |
| Bad Blood | John Carreyrou | Adult | startup fraud |
| Billion Dollar Whale | Tom Wright and Bradley Hope | Adult | global financial crimes |
| Titan | Ron Chernow | Adult | business history |
| The Last Tycoons | William D. Cohan | Adult | banking dynasties |
1. Liar's Poker by Michael Lewis
A young bond salesman describes his years at Salomon Brothers in the 1980s. Funny, brash and a classic of finance memoirs, with portraits of larger-than-life traders.
Best for: the closest memoir.
2. The Smartest Guys in the Room by Bethany McLean and Peter Elkind
The rise and fall of Enron, told through its executives. Clear and detailed, with a strong sense of how fraud grew inside a company that looked brilliant.
Best for: corporate collapse.
3. Den of Thieves by James B. Stewart
A reporter's account of insider trading on Wall Street, with Michael Milken and Ivan Boesky at the center. A tense look at the scandal.
Best for: insider trading.
4. When Genius Failed by Roger Lowenstein
The story of Long-Term Capital Management, a hedge fund run by Nobel winners that nearly broke the financial system. Clear explanations and real drama.
Best for: hedge fund disaster.
5. The Big Short by Michael Lewis
A few investors bet against the housing market before 2008. Clever, funny and furious about how the system failed.
Best for: financial crisis.
6. Too Big to Fail by Andrew Ross Sorkin
An inside look at the 2008 crisis, as Wall Street and Washington scrambled to avert collapse. Fast, detailed and full of characters.
Best for: crisis insiders.
7. All the Devils Are Here by Bethany McLean and Joe Nocera
A wide history of the causes of the financial crisis, with many hidden figures. Thorough and readable.
Best for: big-picture crisis.
8. The Predators' Ball by Connie Bruck
Explains how Drexel Burnham Lambert and Michael Milken built the junk bond market. A look at the rise of the deals Barbarians describes.
Best for: junk bond history.
9. Flash Boys by Michael Lewis
Follows traders who discover that high-speed trading rigs the market. A thriller-like read about technology and money.
Best for: high-frequency trading.
10. The Greatest Trade Ever by Gregory Zuckerman
The story of John Paulson's bet against subprime mortgages. Focused, fast and surprising.
Best for: one big bet.
11. House of Cards by William D. Cohan
The collapse of Bear Stearns, told through its people. Thorough and revealing.
Best for: Wall Street downfall.
12. Bad Blood by John Carreyrou
The collapse of Theranos and Elizabeth Holmes. A thriller of Silicon Valley fraud.
Best for: startup fraud.
13. Billion Dollar Whale by Tom Wright and Bradley Hope
A Malaysian financier steals billions in the 1MDB scandal. Fast and astonishing.
Best for: global financial crimes.
14. Titan by Ron Chernow
A biography of John D. Rockefeller and the rise of Standard Oil. Long, rich and authoritative.
Best for: business history.
15. The Last Tycoons by William D. Cohan
A history of Lazard Frères and its powerful partners. Gossipy and deep.
Best for: banking dynasties.
How to Choose
For the same 1980s era, read Liar's Poker and Den of Thieves. For modern crisis stories, The Big Short and Too Big to Fail. For frauds, The Smartest Guys in the Room and Bad Blood. For long history, Titan. Many of these books are long, so pick one narrative at a time and keep a list of names. If you like history in this style, look for the HBO film and a few business podcasts that revisit the same deals. Pair the book with a recent filing or news story to see how leveraged buyouts work today.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Barbarians at the Gate about?
It tells the 1988 battle for control of RJR Nabisco, with rival buyout groups and executives fighting for the prize.
Is it still worth reading?
Yes. The story of ego, debt and deal-making remains a model for understanding finance.
Was it made into a movie?
Yes. A 1993 HBO film starred James Garner.
Is it a hard read for beginners?
No. It reads like a novel and explains finance simply.
Which book should I read after it?
Liar's Poker is shorter and funnier.
Who were the main players?
F. Ross Johnson, the RJR Nabisco CEO, and Henry Kravis of KKR were the central figures, with Shearson Lehman Hutton and others on the sides.
Is the book biased?
The authors were Wall Street Journal reporters and tried to give each side a fair hearing.