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THE VULTURE INVESTORS

Name: THE VULTURE INVESTORS
Author: Hilary Rosenberg
ISBN: 0-88730-555-5

THE WINNERS AND LOSERS OF THE GREAT AMERICAN BANKRUPTCY FEEDING FRENZY

by Hilary Rosenberg ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 1, 1992

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A blue-chip rundown on the predatory Wall Streeters who incur sizable risks in hope of realizing handsome rewards—by taking big positions at a discount in the distressed debt securities of Chapter 11 casualties. A senior editor at Institutional Investor, Rosenberg chronicles the latter-day emergence of a new breed of opportunist as the takeover wars of the 80's have given way to the restructuring battles of the 90's. By her informed and instructive account, many of the high-profile enterprises that borrowed substantial amounts (e.g., in the junk-bond market and from banks) in aid of leveraged buyouts or other dubious deals soon found themselves unable to meet their debt-service obligations. Many wound up in federal bankruptcy court, where they became fair game for the money men (no women of note as yet) whom the author characterizes as ``vulture investors.'' Lineal descendants of the gentlemanly souls who patiently searched for value among the fiscal wreckage of Depression-era railroads, vulture investors are, on the anecdotal evidence of Rosenberg's text, a hard-nosed, unsentimental lot. Backed to a surprising extent by public pension money (a mainstay of the prior decade's merger mania), the loan-arrangers don't hesitate to throw their weight around and antagonize creditor committees or, if need be, judges. Rosenberg offers an accessible, frequently entertaining guide to the role played by these scavengers in more than a dozen reorganizations, including those involving Southland (of 7-Eleven fame), Donald Trump's Atlantic City casinos, and Allegheny International (Oster-Sunbeam). She also profiles major players, few of whom (save Carl Icahn) are household names. An evenhanded introduction to as unlovable and consequential a crew as ever pounded a boardroom's conference table.

Pub Date: Aug. 1, 1992

ISBN: 0-88730-555-5

Page Count: 432

Publisher: N/A

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 1992

Categories:

BUSINESS | GENERAL NONFICTION

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NUTCRACKER

by E.T.A. Hoffmann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 28, 1996

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This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)

Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996

ISBN: 0-15-100227-4

Page Count: 136

Publisher: Harcourt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER AND THE MOUSE KING
by E.T.A. Hoffmann ; adapted by Natalie Andrewson ; illustrated by Natalie Andrewson

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER
by E.T.A. Hoffmann & illustrated by Julie Paschkis

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TO THE ONE I LOVE THE BEST

EPISODES FROM THE LIFE OF LADY MENDL (ELSIE DE WOLFE)

by Ludwig Bemelmans ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 1955

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An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.