Den of Thieves

Rating:
Summary: no stone unturned
Review: overly detailed account of the rise of the junk bond world. if you want an exhaustive account of the events, this is your book.

Rating:
Summary: Enter the rogue's gallery
Review: "Den of Thieves" reads like a thriller, recounting in spellbinding detail the rise and eventual fall of Wall Street's iconic villains, Michael Milken, Ivan Boesky, and Dennis Levine.

For those who believe Milken's philanthropic activities in recent years are confirmation that he has fully atoned for his sins, this book will make you think twice. He is depicted here as pompous and tyrannical, contemptuous of the investing public, and brazen in his belief that he was above the law.

Students of securities law would also have much to learn from this book, with its textured descriptions of insider trading laws, the plea bargaining process, the inner workings of the SEC, and the legal maneuverings of prosecutors and defense attorneys in cases of securities violations. As it happens, Harvey Pitt, Martin Lipton, and other renowned corporate lawyers figure prominently in the storyline.

One niggling complaint: James Stewart's prose is too pedestrian. Sometimes this gets irksome - for instance, the word "appalled" is used repeatedly to the point of exasperation. For a former editor of the Wall Street Journal, I was expecting prose with a bit more panache.

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Summary: A Saga of Crime, Punishment and the Quest for Power!
Review: This book is fantastic! Author James B. Stewart creates a regaling story for the reader with a compelling narrative of the 1980's Wall Street era of greed and glory.

Stewart takes the reader into the lives of the big players on the Wall Street court at the time: Michael Milken, Ivan Boesky, and Martin Siegel among many others. In great detail, Stewart provides the full story of the insider trading scandal that nearly destroyed Wall Street. Stewart also shows how these "players" created a series of security scams that made legitimate trading pale in comparison.

Equally as intriguing is the story of the SEC detectives that brought the rampant illegal trading to a screeching halt. Not a detail is spared: The lawyers on both sides. The trials. Judge Kimba Wood! This is as close to the real thing as it gets. A great story from a masterful bard! I rate this book at five stars. Destined to be a classic.

Rating:
Summary: If you enjoy the investment world, this is for you!
Review: This was one book that I could not put down. The book is broken into large sections, each dealing with a particular criminal and his corresponding activities. In-depth descriptions of what was going on behind the scenes at some of the most respected financial firms of the time--absolutely fascinating. If you were around in the 80's, and you work/participate in the investment industry, this should be required historical reading.

Rating:
Summary: INCREDIBLE!!!
Review: This book is amazing. I love reading financial and investing books and this one is just amazing. Its capitvating beginning to end. The way the author subtly explains very technical investing terms is awesome. I had know who the characters were but not the entire depth of their situations. This book tells all! I cant wait to read more of the authors work!

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Summary: Must Read For Stock Traders amd Securities Lawyers
Review: I would like to begin by saying that it is amazing what kind of copious and exhaustive research has gone into the writing of this book. James Stewart weaves a story of greed, lies, betrayals, and human frailty. The books accounts for the most significant events on Wall Street thoughout the 19080s, detailing various schemes of insider trading and more devious manipulations of the market that can be hardly understood by people not in the invenstment field. Even today the ramifications of the acts of then household names such as Boesky, Siegel, and Milken cannot be fully realized. It is a book that would make people weep who lost everything in the wake of of "high yield" bond depreciation, and to caution others to take most things told to them by investment bankers, arbs, and other financial figures with a grain of salt. Many who read this book feel that Milken was unfairly treated and got the short end of the stick at sentencing time. However, I would argue that no one in the schemes outlined got anywhere near the punishment that they deserved. All of the criminals in this book, and criminals they were of greatest magnitude who stole from investors, their employees, and the American people untold sums, came out wealthy and little shaken by the experience. It is interesting to note that the book treats everyone kindly on some level other than Dennis Levine who is nothing but villiefied throughout the book as stupid, ineffectual, overweight and crass. I would highly recommend this book to anyone, but especially those who are thinking about going into the field of investment, businessmen, and people who want to know more about Wall Street in the 1980's, ...