The Bold Riders

Australia's corporate collapses of the 1980s were the most devastating 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 banking and financial system, and reverberated much further than Australian shores.

How did it all happen? What did it all mean? Will it happen again?

The Bold Riders was published in 1994 to an avalanche of critical acclaim. Trevor Sykes has revised and updated this paperback edition to take account of new developments and further changes to the legacy of the 1980s.

'Sykes has emerged as the only person in Australia who has so far been able to fully explain the 80s. In fact, he has unlocked the door through a rare ability to analyse a balance sheet, piercing through its accounting veil of lies and deceit to the hidden financial reality. When this brilliant skill is combined with a personal acquaintance with just about every major player in the book and the great journalistic gift of making a story come alive you end up with The Bold Riders. '
Andrew Clarke, The Sun Herald

'Sykes - whose Two Centuries of Panic studies historic states of the collapsing art six years ago - is probably the only financial journalist in Australia capable of the tour de force of The Bold Riders . The colour is abundant, the anecdotes fresh, the analysis dense and - notwithstanding the book's dimensions - the concision admirable.'
Gideon Haigh, The Weekend Australian

'Here are yesterday's heroes and their dupes looking like utter idiots. You wonder how they were even given charge of a corner deli, let alone large licks of the Australian economy.'
Tony Baker, The advertiser