Going for Broke: How Robert Campeau Bankrupted the Retail Industry, Jolted the Junk Bond Market, and Brought the Booming 80s to a Crash [Illustrated] [Paperback]

John Rothchild (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2000

The escapades of such Debtor Barons as Robert Campeau are depicted against the backdrop of national ardor for acquiring debt that characterized the 1980s.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

John Rothchild vividly portrays the era of the Debtor Barons, the 1980s, when a new breed of undaunted entrepreneurs made untold millions buying companies with virtually no money out of their own pockets. The most astute of these Debtor Barons was Robert Campeau, a Canadian real estate developer, who became a primordial force in the American retail industry. This enticing but sobering book is fascinating reading for anyone who ever had a credit card or applied for a loan.

About the Author

JOHN ROTHCHILD, a Yale graduate and Fulbright Scholar, is a well-known writer and editor. He has held editorial positions with the New York Times, the St. Petersburg (Fla) Times, the Washington Post, and the Washington Monthly magazine. As a writer he has published in numerous national magazines such as Esquire, the New Republic, Harper's, and the New York Times magazine, to name a few. From 1995-1996 he was Time magazine's chief financial columnist

Product Details

• Paperback: 308 pages
• Publisher: Beard Books; illustrated edition edition (March 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1893122611
• ISBN-13: 978-1893122611
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,072,431 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great read for those interested in the retail industry, February 25, 2007

By 

Ayal Rosenthal - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Going for Broke: How Robert Campeau Bankrupted the Retail Industry, Jolted the Junk Bond Market, and Brought the Booming 80s to a Crash (Paperback)

This story is so outrageous that its sad to be true. Mr. Campeau is directly responsible for much of what we see and don't see today in the department store industry, especially industry behemoths and the disappearance of once celebrated stand-alone department stores. It is a warning for investment bankers, private equity buyers, and corporate buyers who have quickly forgotten how the excesses of the 1980s came crashing down, as well as providing a solid foundation the department store retail sub-sector. To top it off, it is a good, well written, and entertaining story.