McLibel: Burger Culture on Trial (Hardcover)

by John Vidal (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
Vidal, an environmental reporter for the London Guardian, has written a breezy narrative of England's most costly and complex civil trial. The libel case, based on a political tract criticizing McDonald's anti-environment and anti-vegetarian corporate ethic and advertising strategy, was just recently decided in McDonald's favor on legal grounds. Nevertheless, many Britons see the case as a moral victory for the defendants, two members of London Greenpeace who represented themselves pro se and who forced McDonald's to spend millions on legal fees. Vidal offers an easy-to-follow account of the trial, but his primary focus of is a broad analysis of the many environmental and social justice questions raised by the case. Surprisingly, this format works extraordinarily well. Vidal navigates artfully through each issue, ranging from the freedom of the English press and global corporate environmentalism to food safety and advertising aimed at children. A healthy dose of McDonald's history and profit statistics is thrown in as well. Recommended for all but the smallest libraries.?Steven Anderson, Baltimore Cty. Circuit Court Law Lib., Towson, Md.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews
A lively account of the food fight that became the longest trial in British history. When a flyer entitled ``What's Wrong with McDonald's'' circulated around London, the burger giant took umbrage and sued Helen Steel and Dave Morris, members of London Greenpeace (an environmental group not affiliated with the international organization Greenpeace), for libel. Here Vidal, who covered the trial for the London Guardian, recounts some of the issues addressed and the difficulties faced by the two underdogs who, without benefit of a court-appointed lawyer or funds from legal aid, acted as their own attorneys in facing the corporation's crack legal team in a bench trial (they were denied a jury). British libel law required that Steel and Morris prove the accuracy of virtually every statement made in the flyer. The company may since have come to regret their suit: The pair, assisted by a network of volunteers, did a very credible job of tracking down information in support of the flyer's claims. This effort leads Vidal to discussions of the nutritional value of McDonald's food; whether or not that food contained any beef raised on former rainforest land; the corporation's treatment of workers; and its reactions to employees' efforts to unionize. By the time Vidal is finished with such subjects, the Golden Arches look a little tarnished. But his account would have benefited from waiting for the verdict that was handed down this summer, and from concluding with more rumination on the case and less grandstanding on the evils of multinational corporations. Still, Vidal's blend of human interest and sheer outrageousness make this a ripping legal yarn. If the case itself hasn't already given Ronald McDonald indigestion, this book might. (8 pages b&w photos, not seen) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 354 pages
• Publisher: New Press (November 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1565844114
• ISBN-13: 978-1565844117
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,196,474 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Classic Pyrrhic Victory, September 6, 2000

By	Julian P Killingley (Wakefield, United Kingdom) - See all my reviews

McLibel is an account of the longest trial in British legal history - McDonald's Restaurants v Morris & Steel. The story is in every way a David and Goliath story - two penniless lay people are pitted against the Dean of British libel lawyers backed by the limitless coffers of a major international company. Despite the overwhelming odds against them, both in terms of legal talent and legal obstacles, the defendants do a creditable job of holding their own.

This book offers an interesting British counterpoint to Harr's A Civil Action. Both books describe major legal struggles between the Haves and the Have-nots and in both cases the outcome represents less than a clear victory for either side. McLibel also offers an interesting critique of British libel law, the limitations on free speech in Britain, "ownership" of the law, manipulation of the legal system by the powerful, and the role of the judge.

It also offers Big Business a salutary lesson - not every apprent pushover is going to play dead the moment litigation is threatened. When it comes to counting the most costly legal mistakes ever, this case must rank somewhere near the top of the list. The case turned into a legal quagmire that McDonalds found it impossible to extricate itself from. Whatever consolation the company may have found in the verdict, this was a pyrrhic victory and an undoubted public relations disaster.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good, March 15, 2002

By	Tom Munro "tomfrombrunswick" (Melbourne, Victoria Australia) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

The Mcdonalds Corporation has used the threat of litigation to protect both its logos and also its reputation. This is an example in which the threat of legal action came unstuck. Two British enviromentalists had handed out material which it was later found out defamed the McDonalds corporation. Defamation action was threatened unless the enviromentalists recanted. This they refused to do and McDonalds issued a writ suggesting that they had been libeled.

It was at this point that McDonalds made a serious legal error in making some allegations against the enviromentalists. This led to a counter suite for defamation which was run at the same time. The problem for McDonalds was that they had to lead evidence to prove their case. Normally in a defamation case it would be up to the defendant to do so. As the two enviromentalists were both broke they would not have been able to do so. However McDonalds by their tactical mistake forced themselves to provide evidence to back up their claims. The two enviromentalists were able to cross examine the various McDonalds witnesses to provide evidence for their claims.

As a result the case went on for so long that it became Britain's longest ever case. The two enviromentalists had a year to learn how to cross examine and were able to elicit some evidence that was unflattering McDonalds.

In these sorts of cases costs of litigation are nominally recoverable from the losing side. However as the two enviromentalists had no money any cost order against them was without value. This led to a incredibly long and expensive case which ended up bleeding McDonalds with the unfortunate side effect that the two enviromentalists were able to milk it for all it was worth to attack the reputation of McDonalds. From the point of view of the firm a total disaster... The decision to litigate had been a disaster.

The book is okay but leaden at times, the film that was released of the event is probably a bit more interesing.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Must Read RE Corporations & the Environment, February 19, 1998

By	Robert Derenthal "bucherwurm" (California United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

An important book regarding the power of corporations, and the abuse of the environment. We Americans are fortunate that we do not have England's libel laws where corporations like McDonalds do not hesitate to use the law to squelch free speech. This is a fascinating book that follows the longest civil trial in British history. The author is able to summarize the trial without getting bogged down in the mass of testimony that was presented. The book's downside is that the author makes lengthy asides to preach on environmental issues. I share his concerns, but I bought the book to read about the specific issue of the trial itself.