The Go-Go Years: The Drama and Crashing Finale of Wall Street's Bullish 60s
by John Brooks
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A humorous and keen look at the roller-coaster boom and bust of the 1960s and 1970s by the New York Times-bestselling author of Business Adventures John Brooks blends humor and astute analysis in this tale of the staggering "go-go" growth of the 1960s stock market and the ensuing crashes of the 1970s. Swiftly rising stocks promised fast money to investors, and voracious cupidity drove the market. But the bull market couldn't last forever, and the fall was just as staggering as the ascent. show more Including the astounding story of H. Ross Perot's loss of $450 million in one day; the tale of America's "Last Gatsby," Eddie Gilbert; and the account of financier Saul Steinberg's failed grab for Chemical Bank, this book is replete with hallmark financial acumen and vivid storytelling. A classic of business history, The Go-Go Years provides John Brooks's signature insight into the events of yesteryear and stands the test of time. show lessTags
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Question: has anyone read a contemporary history book that is no longer contemporary?
I recently wrapped up "The Go-Go Years" by John Brooks, a look at the bull market of the 60s and subsequent crash in 1970. It's a jauntily written and entertaining read (and includes perhaps the best description of Ross Perot I've ever run across). If you have an interest in economics, the stock market or the 60s, I thoroughly recommend it. Bonus points if you want to compare to similar contemporary histories of more recent economics, such as Michael Lewis' "The Big Short."
But what makes it such an oddity to me is that it was published in 1973 and, boy howdy, is it a product of its time. There's slang that is lost on me, Nixon shows up repeatedly show more without any reference to his wrongdoing, there is constant references to the Protestant-Jewish split on Wall Street. On its own merits, it's a pretty good book. As a time capsule, especially to a time which is just outside my own memory, it's absolutely fascinating.
It's occurred to me that this type of book makes up a fairly large chunk of current book sales (even if most of that is political tripe), but it feels like these books disappear after a few months never to resurface. There's a fascinating prospect of literary anthropology contained out there, if you only know where to find it. show less
I recently wrapped up "The Go-Go Years" by John Brooks, a look at the bull market of the 60s and subsequent crash in 1970. It's a jauntily written and entertaining read (and includes perhaps the best description of Ross Perot I've ever run across). If you have an interest in economics, the stock market or the 60s, I thoroughly recommend it. Bonus points if you want to compare to similar contemporary histories of more recent economics, such as Michael Lewis' "The Big Short."
But what makes it such an oddity to me is that it was published in 1973 and, boy howdy, is it a product of its time. There's slang that is lost on me, Nixon shows up repeatedly show more without any reference to his wrongdoing, there is constant references to the Protestant-Jewish split on Wall Street. On its own merits, it's a pretty good book. As a time capsule, especially to a time which is just outside my own memory, it's absolutely fascinating.
It's occurred to me that this type of book makes up a fairly large chunk of current book sales (even if most of that is political tripe), but it feels like these books disappear after a few months never to resurface. There's a fascinating prospect of literary anthropology contained out there, if you only know where to find it. show less
An early look at Ross Perot and an explanation for the connection of Nixon and Lasker of the New York Stock Exchange. If you have this hang on to it. A good background for understanding economic crises of the next 20 years. The author draws on articles written for the New Yorker.
Received from Helen
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17+ Works 1,509 Members
John Nixon Brooks was born on December 5, 1920, in New York City. He grew up in Trenton, New Jersey, and graduated from Princeton University in 1942. He was in the Unites States Army Air Forces immediately following his graduation, until 1945. Brooks went to work for Time magazine, where he became a contributing editor. In 1949, he joined The New show more Yorker as a staff writer. At the magazine, he wrote many articles and profiles about well-known business figures of the day. These profiles included Henry Ford II, Louis Rukeyser, Robert Moses, Arthur Laffer and Richard Whitney. Brooks authored three novels, of which, The Big Wheel, published in 1949, was most notable. It described a newsmagazine similar to Time. He also published ten non-fiction books on business and finance. His best-known books were Once in Golconda: A True Drama of Wall Street, 1920-1938, about the scandal surrounding Wall Street banker Richard Whitney; The Go-Go Years, which was about Wall Street in the 1960s; and The Takeover Game about the merger mania of the 1980s. In his later years, Brooks's writing on finance won him three Gerald Loeb Awards. He also served as vice president of PEN for four years, a vice president of the Society of American Historians and a trustee of the New York Public Library from 1978 until 1993. Brooks died on July 27, 1993, in East Hampton, New York, from complications of a stroke. His title Business Adventures was reprinted in 2014, after it had been featured in a Wall Street Journal article as Bill Gates's favorite business book. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- The Go-Go Years: The Drama and Crashing Finale of Wall Street's Bullish 60s
- Original publication date
- 1973
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- 140
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- Reviews
- 3
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- (3.89)
- Languages
- English
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- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 13
- ASINs
- 4
