Books with author John Broome

Once in Golconda "In this book, John Brooks-who was one of the most elegant of all business writers-perfectly catches the flavor of one of history's best-known financial dramas: the 1929 crash and its aftershocks. It's packed with parallels and parables for the modern reader." -From the Foreword by Richard Lambert Editor-in-Chief, The Financial Times Once in Golconda is a dramatic chronicle of the breathtaking rise, devastating fall, and painstaking rebirth of Wall Street in the years between the wars. Focusing on the lives and fortunes of some of the era's most memorable traders, bankers, boosters, and frauds, John Brooks brings to vivid life all the ruthlessness, greed, and reckless euphoria of the '20s bull market, the desperation of the days leading up to the crash of '29, and the bitterness of the years that followed. Praise for Once in Golconda "A fast-moving, sophisticated account.embracing the stock-market boom of the twenties, the crash of 1929, the Depression, and the coming of the New Deal. Its leitmotif is the truly tragic personal history of Richard Whitney, the aristocrat Morgan broker and head of the Stock Exchange, who ended up in Sing Sing." -Edmund Wilson, writing in the New Yorker "As Mr. Brooks tells this tale of dishonor, desperation, and the fall of the mighty, it takes on overtones of Greek tragedy, a king brought down by pride. Whitney's sordid history has been told before..But in Mr. Brooks's hands, the drama becomes freshly shocking." -Wall Street Journal "It's all there in Once in Golconda-the avarice of an era that favored the rich; and the later anguish of myriads of speculators doomed by a bloated market, easy credit, and their own cupidity and stupidity." -Saturday Review

A collection of true stories about money, the stock market, and high finance from the Gerald Loeb Award–winning “unbelievable business writer” (Bill Gates). For decades, author and New Yorker staff writer John Brooks was renowned for his keen intelligence, in-depth knowledge, and uniquely engaging approach to the dramas and personalities of the financial and business worlds. With a style of prose that “turns potentially eye-glazing topics . . . into rollicking narratives,” Brooks proved that even the bottom line can be moving, hilarious, and infuriating all at once (Slate). Here are three of his most fascinating works, which still resonate today. Business Adventures: This collection of entertaining short features is a brilliant example of Brooks’s talents, covering subjects such as the Edsel disaster, the rise of Xerox, and how corruption may be an irreparable part of the corporate world. “Brooks’s deeper insights about business are just as relevant today as they were back then.” —Bill Gates, The Wall Street Journal Once in Golconda: An incisively examined chronicle of the euphoric financial climb of the twenties, the ruinous stock market crash of 1929, and the unbelievable hardship and suffering that followed in its wake. “Brooks is truly willing to give up his own views to get inside the mind of all his subjects.” —National Review The Go-Go Years: A humorous look at the staggering “go-go” growth of the 1960s stock market and the ensuing crashes of the 1970s in which fortunes were made overnight and lost even faster. “An unusually complex and thoughtful work of social history.” —The New York Times

This new book reviews critically recent studies of fire control, and describes the essentials of naval gunnery in the dreadnought era. With a foreword by Professor Andrew Lambert, it shows how, in 1913, the Admiralty rejected Arthur Pollen's Argo system for the Dreyer fire control tables. Many naval historians now believe that, consequently, British dreadnoughts were fitted with a system that, despite being partly plagiarised from Pollen's, was inferior: and that the Dreyer Tables were a contributory cause in the sinking of Indefatigable and Queen Mary at Jutland. This book provides new and revisionist accounts of the Dreyer/Pollen controversy, and of gunnery at Jutland. In fire control, as with other technologies, the Royal Navy had been open, though not uncritically, to innovations. The Dreyer Tables were better suited to action conditions (particularly those at Jutland). Beatty's losses were the result mainly of deficient tactics and training: and his battlecruisers would have been even more disadvantaged had they been equipped by Argo. It follows the development of the Pollen and Dreyer systems, refutes the charges of plagiarism and explains Argo's rejection. It outlines the German fire control system: and uses contemporary sources in a critical reassessment of Beatty's tactics throughout the Battle of Jutland.

This new book reviews critically recent studies of fire control, and describes the essentials of naval gunnery in the dreadnought era. With a foreword by Professor Andrew Lambert, it shows how, in 1913, the Admiralty rejected Arthur Pollen's Argo system for the Dreyer fire control tables. Many naval historians now believe that, consequently, British dreadnoughts were fitted with a system that, despite being partly plagiarised from Pollen's, was inferior: and that the Dreyer Tables were a contributory cause in the sinking of Indefatigable and Queen Mary at Jutland. This book provides new and revisionist accounts of the Dreyer/Pollen controversy, and of gunnery at Jutland. In fire control, as with other technologies, the Royal Navy had been open, though not uncritically, to innovations. The Dreyer Tables were better suited to action conditions (particularly those at Jutland). Beatty's losses were the result mainly of deficient tactics and training: and his battlecruisers would have been even more disadvantaged had they been equipped by Argo. It follows the development of the Pollen and Dreyer systems, refutes the charges of plagiarism and explains Argo's rejection. It outlines the German fire control system: and uses contemporary sources in a critical reassessment of Beatty's tactics throughout the Battle of Jutland.

Bobby Bright Becomes a Professor (And is Lost at Sea) After last Christmas, Remington's grandparents left their mysterious strand of lights with their grandson when they returned home from Spain. Remington can now be with his bulbs every day. This is the perfect time to experiment with something he's wondered for a long, long time. Can Bobby say more than just his name? Thus begins hours of lessons for Bobby Bright, the world's most magical Christmas tree light. However, while Bobby is trying so hard to say human words, suddenly Remington also becomes a student. He is challenged to say some words in Bobby's language of Bulbese. By the time summer arrives and Mr. and Mrs. McGillicuddy return for a visit, Bobby and Remington have both earned their diplomas. And just with every school year, it ends with summer vacation. Remington and his family head to the beach. But the fun turns to tragedy when Remington loses Bobby as they frolic among the waves of the Mediterranean Sea. In the last three years Bobby Bright has saved members of his own family and the McGillicuddys, but now the world's most amazing bulb faces the biggest challenge of his lifesaving himself. Bobby Bright Meets His Maker (The Shocking Truth is Revealed) Remington and his parents have returned home from living in Spain for the past year and a half. Remington will again enjoy the tiny Christmas tree in his grandparents' guest room and the amazing strand of bulbs that includes his magical friend Bobby Bright. But this year there is another surprise. Mr. and Mrs. McGillicuddy have invited an old relative they met many years ago to join them for Christmas. He is a very lonely man who has been alone for years during Christmas. But now he meets Remington and his parents, and Remington's nanny from Spain and suddenly a strange story is learned. During the days prior to Christmas 'Old Bob' McGillicuddy and Remington become friends and Remington shows him his magical bulb, Bobby. It isn't long before 'Old Bob' realizes the bulbs on the strand have a history that he is very aware of. He knows why and how they became injected with magical powers. When Remington hears the story he knows he must do something that will be very painful. He makes the decision to give Bobby Bright and his family of bulbs away forever. Just as it is about to happen, the shocking truth is revealed and you the reader will not believe it can be true. But it is, and it is the reason the Bobby Bright story and series will be no more.

An amazing event takes place in the world's largest factory that produces Christmas light bulbs. A strand of bulbs is jolted with an electrical charge and one bulb named Bobby is injected with unique powers. When Bobby and his family of bulbs, who can actually talk among themselves, arrive at the McGillicuddy's house, they are expecting to shine brilliantly and make people happy. The very opposite happens and for nine years Bobby and his family are relegated to the back of the McGillicuddy's Christmas tree. Then in the tenth year, a series of events, topped off by Bobby's magical powers, gives the Bright family strand a real chance to shine. The fun really begins when the McGillicuddy's grandson, Remington, shows up for Christmas and discovers how different the bulbs are on his tiny tree. When magical things begin to happen Bobby Bright's Christmas gets better and yours will too. "