The Last Stand: The War Between Wall Street and Main Street over California's Ancient Redwoods - Hardcover

Harris, David

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0812925777 ISBN 13: 9780812925777

Publisher: Crown, 1995

Synopsis

By chronicling the takeover of Pacific Lumber Company--which had been operated by one family since 1904 before being sold to a Texas-based conglomerate--Harris gives readers a metaphor for the disappearance of a gentler, kinder capitalism. The Last Stand is a book about how some people, often against their will, end by killing the very thing--the forest itself--that has long given them sustenance and shelter.

About this title

About the Author

David Harris, a journalist whose work has regularly appeared in Rolling Stone and The New York Times Magazine, is the author of numerous books, including Our War and Dreams Die Hard. He lives in Mill Valley, California.

From Publishers Weekly

The Pacific Lumber Company (PL), owner of many of the country's old-growth redwood stands still in private hands, practiced a brand of forestry different from that of most of its competitors. Family-owned and -operated for decades, PL refused to clear-cut, believing instead in sustainable forestry. Employees were also considerately treated. All this changed dramatically when corporate raider Charles Hurwitz, with help from Wall Street legends Ivan Boesky and Michael Milken, succeeded in his unfriendly, if not necessarily fully legal, takeover. Hurwitz made millions and changed the face of the redwoods for all time. Journalist Harris (Dreams Die Hard) details the clash of three distinct cultures: greedy Wall Street financiers; idealistic environmentalists; and those attempting to earn their living from the forest. Although the book is a good read, a great deal of liberty seems to have been taken with dialogue and thoughts. With the notable exception of some pulp writing?"Night had fallen like a cast-iron safe down an elevator shaft"?Harris's tale is gripping and informative. Author tour.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Crown
• Publication date: 1995
• ISBN 10: 0812925777
• ISBN 13: 9780812925777
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 373