Two classic books by our Patron, Trevor Sykes, are now available in pdf format for $42.50 each.
They are Two Centuries of Panic and The Bold Riders, covering some of the biggest financial scandals in Australia's history.
THE BOLD RIDERS
Australia's corporate collapses of the 1980s were the most devastating until then in the country's history. The crashes of the empires of such former heroes as Alan Bond, John Spalvins and Christopher Skase had a massive impact that went far beyond the stock exchanges, shook the entire financial and banking systems, and reverbrated much further than Australia's shores.
The Bold Riders explores the forces that created the corporate cowboys and allowed them to flourish. Their businesses and accounts are analysed, revealing the flaws that often stayed hidden for years.
The characters that march through these pages were larger than life, and so were their follies. The author does not spare the former stars of the stock exchanges.
On Alan Bond:
"If there were a Society of Cheerful Rogues, Alan Bond would have been its Life President."
On Christopher Skase:
"Skase was in the position of an FA-18 pilot flying flat out just a few feet above the water. One hiccup and he would be in the drink."
On George Herscu:
"Having accumulated more wealth than he could have spent in a lifetime, he lost the lot and impoverished his family into the bargain."
On John Spalvins:
"When it came to gambling on the markets, Spalvins' luck and judgement were no better than average."
On auditors:
"If the audit profession cannot function any more usefully than it did in Australia in the 1980s then it might as well be abolished."
TWO CENTURIES OF PANIC
Two Centuries of Panic is a story rich in sensation and scandal. It is the definitive history of corporate collapses in Australia from the first bank closure in the 1820s through the four great recessions of the 1840s, 1890s, 1930s and 1970s to the downfall of the Bank of Adelaide in 1979.
Many famous names in Australian history appear in these pages - among them Governor Lachlan Macquarie, John Macarthur, Alfred Deakin, Benjamin Boyd, Jack Lang, Red Ted Theodore and Claude de Bernales - names associated with some of the largest and most dramatic corporate collapses in our history.
Trevor Sykes has written from the rare position of an insider, observing and recounting many of the modern collapses as they occurred.
Reviewing the book, P.P. McGuinness wrote: "Trevor Sykes has for a long time been known as one of the best financial journalists in Australia. Now he has staked his claim to be considered head and shoulders above the others - he is the best.
"It is difficult to overstate the excellence or importance of Trevor Sykes' book. It is essential reading. What is more, it is fund to read. No academic could have written as good a book as this…"
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