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Empire
A Tale of Obsession, Betrayal, and the Battle for an American Icon
by Mitchell Pacelle
ISBN: 0471403946
ISBN-13: 9780471403944
Format: Hardcover
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Summary
A Wall Street Journal reporter investigates the intrigue between owners and prospective buyers of the the Empire State Building-the Helmsleys, Donald Trump, and foreign businessmen.
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If you thought King Kong was the only monster who laid claim to the Empire State Building, guess again. This highly entertaining, well-researched volume about the all-out, high-stakes battle in the 1980s and '90s over ownership and control of one of Manhattan's premier edifices is a cross between great business writing and even greater gossip. Built in 1929, the Empire State Building was bought in 1961 by Henry Helmsley and Lawrence Wein, who quickly resold it but retained a 114-year lease. When the Helmsley empire began to crack in the late 1980s (wife Leone went to jail for tax fraud), the building was nearly bought by jailed Japanese investor Hideki Yokoi, who used his illegitimate daughter, Kiiko Nakahara, and her husband, Jean-Paul Renoir, as fronts. When that deal fell through, Nakahara and Renoir secretly bought the building themselves, entering a deal with Donald Trump to try to shake the Helmsley lease. After Nakahara and Renoir were jailed in France in 1996 for the alleged theft of real estate, Trump and Leona Helmsley entered into a gigantic legal and public relations battle for control of the building. Pacelle, who writes for the Wall Street Journal, is scrupulous in detailing the legal angles and how shifts in the world economy and U.S. business both affected and were affected by all this skullduggery. He also has great fun with the bizarre cast of characters, who plot and connive against one another in what reads like a cross between film noir and a Harold Robbins novel. In the end, though, the Empire State Building remains a beauty, not destroyed by these beasts. (Nov.)
Bibliographic Details
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Inc
Published date: 2001
Size: 6.5 x 9 inches
Weight: 1.45 pounds
Pages: 344
Publisher's Notes
The world’s most famous skyscraper, the Empire State Building is an icon as immediately recognizable as the Eiffel Tower, the Great Pyramids, or the Taj Mahal; and for some of the world’s most powerful men, it is the ultimate prize. From the day it was erected, it has been the object of obsession for the heads of empires, conjuring their most hidden vices. In a riveting chronicle of betrayal, revenge, family rivalry, and raw greed, award-winning journalist Mitchell Pacelle tells the compelling tale of the history of the Empire State Building and the battle for ownership which reveals the inner workings of a world of powerful, self-made men. Pacelle brings to life the colorful cast of characters involved–a dramatis personae including the most powerful players in the international real estate markets both old and new, including John Raskob and Pierre du Pont alongside Donald Trump, the Helmsleys, Peter Malkin, and the eccentric Japanese billionaire Hideki Yokoi. Before the tale is over, Yokoi will accuse his beloved illegitimate daughter of stealing the building from him, several participants will land in jail, one will die suddenly, and a tense legal standoff will leave the landmark in limbo. One of the most fascinating characters to emerge from this richly layered story is the building itself, with its legendary romances and suicides, its odd tenants, and the countless human triumphs and tragedies that have been played out within its towering walls.
Mitchell Pacelle (Brooklyn, NY) has reported on some of the most compelling business stories of the past decade for the Wall Street Journal. He won the New York Press Club’s Business Reporting Award in 1999, was a finalist for UCLA’s Gerald Loeb Award for Distinguished Business and Financial Journalism, and was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize by the Journal for his coverage of the collapse of the Long-Term Capital Management hedge fund.
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Empire: A Tale of Obsession, Betrayal, and the Battle for an American Icon
Mitchell Pacelle
A beautiful, pristine ex-library copy. On first glance, this copy looks new. It probably has never been read. All pages and cover clear and bright except for a few library markings. Pages are crisp and smooth. The mylar over dustjacket is clean and glossy. The cover corners are nice and crisp. Binding solid and tight. No creases. ( more information) Offered by Once Sold Tales (United States)
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Empire: A Tale of Obsession, Betrayal, and the Battle for an American Icon
Mitchell Pacelle
Wiley. Used - Good. Former Library book. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Shipped to over one million happy customers! Your purchase benefits world literacy! ( more information) Offered by Better World Books (United States)
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Empire
Mitchell Pacelle
1st Ed. Hardback with marvelous dustjacket, unread, no shelfwear and not price clipped. ( more information) Offered by 1799FARMHOUSE (United States)
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10)
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Empire: A Tale of Obsession, Betrayal, and the Battle for an American Icon
Pacelle, Mitchell
New York, New York: John Wiley & Sons, 2001. 1st Edition, 1st Printing. Hard Cover. Fine/Fine. "If you thought King Kong was the only monster who has laid claim to the Empire State Building, guess again. This highly entertaining, well-researched volume about the all-out, high-stakes battle in the 1980s and '90s over ownership and control of one of Manhattan's premier edifices is a cross between great business writing and even greater gossip." -- Publishers Weekly. ISBN: 0-471-40394-6. ( more information) Offered by Muses Books (United States)
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12)
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Empire
Pacelle Mitchell
New York: Wiley, 2001 pp344. A tale of obsession, betrayal and the battle for an American icon; the Empire Styate Building.. First Edition. Soft Cover. Fine. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. ( more information) Offered by Brockwells Booksellers (United Kingdom)
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13)
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Empire: A Tale of Obsession, Betrayal, and the Battle for an American Icon
Pacelle, Mitchell
New York, New York, U.S.A.: John Wiley & Sons Inc, 2001. "EMPIRE is the gripping account of a frenzied decade-long contest for control of America's premier skyscrapter. Mitchell Pacelle, an award-winnig writer for The Wall Street Journal, takes us behind the scenes in a bizarre drama of greed, rivalry, duplicity, and betrayal. Taking advantage of extensive access to key players, he trace the saga from the boardroom where an intricate ownership web was spun to the time-warped world of a Japanese tycoon; from castles in Britain to jail cells in New York and France." This book has 344 pages and is illustrated.. ISBN: 0-471-40394-6. First Printing. Hard Cover. Fine/Fine. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. EMPIRE STATE BUILDING NEW YORK. ( more information) Offered by Glued To The Tube Books (United States)
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16)
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Empire : A Tale of Obsession, Betrayal & the Battle for an American Icon
Pacelle, Mitchell
New York, NY, U.S.A.: John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated, 2001 Trade paperback in very good plus condition. Minor bumping and soiling of front and back cover. Spine and pages in excellent condition. A novel that uses historical figures -John Raskob to Donald Trump - as main characters. 2 - Architecture. Uncorrected Proof. ( more information) Offered by Books Inc (United States)
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21)
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Empire: A Tale of Obsession, Betrayal, and The Battle for an American Icon
Pacelle,Mitchell
New York, New York USA: John Wiley & Sons, 2001. First Edition. Hard Cover. Very Good/Very Good. First edition with complete number line denoting the first printing. The unclipped jacket and book display wear at the head and foot of the spine. The book is free of internal or remainder markings. The book stands straight and lays flat. ( more information) Offered by Wolfgang Books (United States)
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24)
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Empire
Pacelle Mitchell
New York: John Wiley & Sons Inc, 2001 344 pages. A Tale of Obsession, Betrayal and the Battle for an American Icon. First Edition. Hardcover. Fine/Fine. 8vo. ( more information) Offered by Brockwells Booksellers (United Kingdom)
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27)
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Empire: A Tale of Obsession, Betrayal, and the Battle for an American Icon
Pacelle, Mitchell
Somerset, New Jersey, U.S.A.: John Wiley & Sons Inc, 2001. 1st.ed. 1st. printing (ARC), soft cover with illustrated wraps, 336 page book. Condition : Fine, a once read copy.. ISBN: 0-471-40394-6. Advance Uncorrected Proofs. Soft Cover. Fine. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. Advanced Reading Copy (ARC). EMPIRE STATE BUILDING NEW YORK. ( more information) Offered by GibbsBooks.Com ( I.O.B.A. ) (United States)
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28)
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EMPIRE. A Tale Of Obsession, Betrayal, And The Battle For An American Icon
Pacelle, Mitchell
Wiley:, 2001. 344 pages, illustrated. "The Empire Skyscraper is the most famous building in the world- a towering edifice whose silhouette defines New York's skyline. Yet few are aware of the triumphs and tragedies that have played out in its storied corridors. The book is a gripping account of a frenzied decade-long contest for control of America's premier skyscraper." FINE HARDCOVER, FINE DUST JACKET. . Hard Cover. Fine/Fine. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. ( more information) Offered by PASCALE'S BOOKS (United States)
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29)
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Empire : A Tale of Obsession, Betrayal, and the Battle for an American Icon
Pacelle, Mitchell
New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2001. First edition, first printing. An account of the battles for ownership and control of America's most famous building. A Near Fine hardcover in a Near Fine dustjacket, a "nearly new" copy with no inscriptions or other markings. . ( more information) Offered by NARNIA BOOKS (Canada)
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31)
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EMPIRE
Pacelle, Mitchell
Wiley, 2001. 344pp. Illus. "A Tale of Obsession, Betrayal, and the Battle for an American Icon." (loc 996/1). First Edition, First Printing. Hard Cover. Very Good/Very Good. ( more information) Offered by Austin Book Shop (United States)
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