Den of ThievesDen of Thieves
Score Modern
What it's about
In the 1980s, Wall Street was swept by insider trading on a scale no one had seen. James B. Stewart tells how a handful of bankers and traders, among them Ivan Boesky and the junk-bond king Michael Milken, made fortunes by trading on secrets, and how prosecutors, including a young Rudy Giuliani, finally brought them down.
Why it's worth reading
It spent weeks at #1 on the New York Times list. Stewart, a Pulitzer winner, makes a complicated financial scandal read like a crime thriller.
You'll love it if you liked
The House of Morgan
Lords of Finance: The Bankers Who Broke the World
Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler DynastyGood to know
There are many names and deals to keep straight. It was written soon after the trials.
By the numbers
- Readers73 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller40 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #46 of the 85 self-help and business books we rank
- #595 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #1131 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story, Gripping, Dark
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Bel CantoExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Self-help and business booksTop 25 · 85 ranked
Modern booksTop 25 · 1,573 ranked
Books of the 1990sTop 25 · 273 ranked
Fantasy booksTop 25 · 459 ranked
Mysteries and thrillersTop 25 · 555 ranked
Literary novelsTop 25 · 309 ranked
Memoirs and biographiesTop 25 · 290 ranked
Science fiction booksTop 25 · 313 rankedQuick answers
Is Den of Thieves worth reading?
Yes. It spent weeks at #1 on the New York Times list. It ranks #1,131 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 71.5 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Den of Thieves about?
In the 1980s, Wall Street was swept by insider trading on a scale no one had seen. James B. Stewart tells how a handful of bankers and traders, among them Ivan Boesky and the junk-bond king Michael Milken, made fortunes by trading on secrets, and how prosecutors, including a young Rudy Giuliani, finally brought them down.
How long does it take to read Den of Thieves?
About 13 hours (522 pages), or about 4 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Den of Thieves?
If you liked it, try The House of Morgan by Ron Chernow, Lords of Finance: The Bankers Who Broke the World by Liaquat Ahamed or Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty by Patrick Radden Keefe.