Bryan Burrough
Born: August 13, 1961 – Temple, Texas, United States
Bryan Burrough is an American journalist and nonfiction author focused on business, crime, and modern U.S. history. He is best known for co-authoring the bestselling Barbarians at the Gate and for books including Public Enemies and Days of Rage, which examine Wall Street, organized crime, and political violence in America.
Biography & Author's Journey
Bryan Burrough emerged from the old-school reporting tradition rather than from a personal platform-first model. A Temple-raised Texan, he studied at the University of Missouri School of Journalism and graduated in 1983, then began his professional rise at The Wall Street Journal. The first decisive turning point came with the RJR Nabisco takeover, which he and John Helyar covered closely and later transformed into Barbarians at the Gate, a book that became a landmark of corporate narrative nonfiction. During those years he also collected multiple Gerald Loeb honors, establishing a reputation for making complex systems of money and power legible to general readers. ((https://texasinstituteofletters.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/TIL-Mar-2011-newsletter.pdf?utm_source=openai))
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Barbarians at the Gate
Bryan Burrough
A gripping account of corporate greed and the largest takeover in Wall Street history during the 1980s.
The Big Rich
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Historical account of the Texas oil industry and its influential figures.
Forget the Alamo
Bryan Burrough & Chris Tomlinson & Jason Stanford
A provocative reexamination of the Alamo's mythic status, challenging long-held beliefs about Texas history and American heroism.
Barbarians at the Gate
Bryan Burrough
A gripping account of corporate greed and the largest takeover in Wall Street history during the 1980s.
The Big Rich
Bryan Burrough
Historical account of the Texas oil industry and its influential figures.
Forget the Alamo
Bryan Burrough & Chris Tomlinson & Jason Stanford
A provocative reexamination of the Alamo's mythic status, challenging long-held beliefs about Texas history and American heroism.
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Community Voices
"Bryan Burrough has long been one of this nation’s best storytellers"
— Kurt Eichenwald
"Bryan Burrough has delivered a terrific piece of research, reportage and storytelling"
— Paul Ingrassia
"In “The Gunfighters,” Bryan Burrough sets out to debunk the myth of the Colt-toting cowboy hero"
— The Washington Post
"It’s hard to imagine a greater literary marriage than that of the oil barons of Texas and Bryan Burrough"
— David Margolick
"In The Gunfighters, Bryan Burrough takes dead aim at one of America’s greatest foundation myths"
— S.C. Gwynne
"Bryan Burrough, Chris Tomlinson, and Jason Stanford urge us to reconsider the Alamo"
— Texas Observer
"In spellbinding fashion, Bryan Burrough’s Days of Rage brilliantly explicates one of the most confounding periods of recent American history"
— William D. Cohan
"In this lively book, Bryan Burrough, Chris Tomlinson and Jason Stanford dig deep into Texas history to separate fact from legend"
— Karen Tumulty
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
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"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
