Patricia Beard – författare

In March 2005, Morgan Stanley, the most prestigious and, until recently, the most successful investment bank on Wall Street exploded when a group of eight retired executives ignited a revolt. This 'Group of Eight' - an Ivy League cohort that included a former chairman and president - called for the removal of CEO Philip Purcell, a Midwesterner who had come to power following Morgan Stanley's 1997 merger with Dean Witter Discover, where Purcell had been the chief executive.In the next four years, Purcell presided over a 50 per cent stock decline and a series of high-profile government and shareholder suits that Morgan Stanley has lost and, it seems, will continue to lose. But the revolt of the Group of Eight was about more than business performance; it signaled a clash of cultures and a battle for the soul of America's pre-eminent financial institution. Since its founding Morgan Stanley has been an aristocratic enterprise, guided by the motto 'A First-Class Business in a First-Class Way'.The House of Morgan stood for more than success with honor; there was an ethos about the place that was unique - some would say sacred - and the Eight believed that this ideal had been undermined by Philip Purcell. "Blue Blood and Mutiny" opens in early 2005, when the usually closely-guarded opinions of the Eight publicly boiled over. After their concerns were brushed off by the Board of Directors - packed with associates of Purcell - and several sympathetic executives resigned, the Eight bought a full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal in which they called for the Board to appoint a new CEO. The unprecedented move stirred massive press attention, including a cover story in Fortune, and sparked rumors on Wall Street that Morgan Stanley was a buyout target. For the time, however, the Eight appear to have won the battle, for in June 2005 Purcell resigned and former president John Mack - who had been pushed out by Purcell - was appointed CEO.

The behind the scenes story of the power struggle that rocked Wall Street''s most prestigious financial institution.In March 2005 the business world woke up to an unprecedented full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal calling for the removal of Morgan Stanley''s CEO. It was paid for by a cohort of eight former Morgan Stanley executives, including an ex-chairman and an ex-president, who soon would be dubbed the “Eight Grumpy Old Men.” Their target was CEO Philip Purcell, who had come to power following Morgan Stanley''s 1997 merger with Dean Witter Discover. In his eight years as CEO, Purcell had presided over a 50 percent decline in stock price since its peak in 2000 and a series of high-profile government and civil lawsuits that had tarnished the company''s once-sterling reputation. Just a few months after the Journal ad, Purcell would retire under pressure, and former president John Mack, who had been pushed out by Purcell, was appointed CEO. The “Eight Grumpy Old Men” won the battle.Opening the long-closed doors of a bastion of Wall Street that has maintained the strictest privacy until now, Blue Blood and Mutiny is real-life business thriller exposing the tale that shook high finance. Weaving the history of Morgan Stanley with the inside story of the fight for dominance between two competing business cultures—one, the collegial meritocracy handed down from the days of J. P. Morgan, and the other, a cold, contemporary corporate model, acclaimed journalist and historian Patricia Beard has written a must-read book for anyone who wants to understand the future of American business.

What shall we do about our mothers?Millions of adult daughters ask one another this question as their mothers age, fight illnesses and loneliness, and sometimes outlive their savings. Caught between caring for their mothers and other responsibilities, women in midlife are affected by guilt, anger, and anxiety as they struggle to be good daughters.Now journalist-and daughter-Patricia Beard asks “How can we make our peace with our mothers? What does it mean to be a good daughter? Why is it so hard? How can we do better?” In this sensible and inspirational book, she explores the tensions of the mother-daughter relationship, the reality of being old in our society, and the new roles daughters formulate as their mothers grow older. In stories gathered from hundreds of interviews, she offers clearheaded and openhearted insights into the practical and emotional problems that confront mothers and daughters…and shows how even in the last, difficult phase, they can face change and loss with courage, compassion, and a stronger relationship.Fascinating and informative…a valuable resource…a book I highly recommend.—Horace B. Deets,former executive director, AARPPatricia Beard has written a thoughtful and intelligent book about a subject that is central to our lives. Brava.—Roxanna Robinson,author of This Is My Daughter

A richly evocative debut novel set in an exclusive summer colony along the east coast during the aftermath of World War II—for fans of Kate Morton and Jamie Ford."Nothing ever changes at Wauregan.” That mystique is the tradition of the idyllic island colony off the shore of Long Island, the comforting tradition that its summer dwellers have lived by for over half a century. But in the summer of 1948, after a world war has claimed countless men—even those who came home—the time has come to deal with history’s indelible scars. Helen Wadsworth’s husband, Arthur, was declared missing in action during an OSS operation in France, but the official explanation was mysteriously nebulous. Now raising a teenage son who longs to know the truth about his father, Helen turns to Frank Hartman—her husband’s best friend and his partner on the mission when he disappeared. Frank, however, seems more intent on filling the void in Helen’s life that Arthur’s absence has left. As Helen’s affection for Frank grows, so does her guilt, especially when Peter Gavin, a handsome Marine who was brutally tortured by the Japanese and has returned with a faithful war dog, unexpectedly stirs new desires. With her heart pulled in multiple directions, Helen doesn’t know whom to trust—especially when a shocking discovery forever alters her perception of both love and war. Part mystery, part love story, and part insider’s view of a very private world, A Certain Summer resonates in the heart long after the last page is turned.

This is the story of one of the most important American newspapermen of the twentieth century. Roy Howard rose to prominence at the height of newspapers’ power and became a leader in the evolution of print news starting in 1908—when E. W. Scripps appointed him head of the fledgling United Press at age 25—through his tenure as chairman of the Scripps-Howard empire until 1952. As Howard expanded and modernized the business, he landed some of the most important scoops between World War I and the Korean War. Ebullient, likeable, and outgoing, he headed one of only two coast-to-coast news concerns—Hearst being the other. An advisor to presidents and prime ministers, Howard witnessed the most significant events of the time. A 1930 front-page New York Times article named him one of the 59 men who “rule” America, with John D. Rockefeller topping the list. Time magazine put him on the cover. The Saturday Evening Post lionized him. Even his enemies gave him plenty of coverage: The New Yorker excoriated him in a four-part series, although the author admitted that Howard’s and Hearst’s were the only American newspaper publishers whose photographs the average newspaper reader would recognize. With exclusive, first-time access to thousands of previously unpublished documents in the privately held Howard family archives, author Patricia Beard opens a rich mine of stories from one of the most volatile periods in history as revealed by the head of a newspaper empire at a time when the press both made and broke the news.

Glamorous, cultured, and ambitious -- but fatally young and naive -- James Hazen Hyde was twenty-three when he inherited the majority shares in the billion-dollar Equitable Life Assurance Society in 1899. Five years later, at the pinnacle of social and financial success, he made a fatal miscalculation, and set in motion the first great Wall Street scandal of the twentieth century.On the last night of January 1905, Hyde gave one of the most fabulous balls of the Gilded Age. Falsely accused of charging the party to his company, he was sucked into a maelstrom of allegations of corporate malfeasance that involved the era''s most famous financiers and industrialists. The shocking revelations that followed commanded hundreds of front-page stories and led to a government investigation that became a nationwide obsession and changed the law.Set against a backdrop of magnificence, excess, and corrupting glamour, "After the Ball''s" themes are stunningly fresh: greed and chicanery, flawed love between fathers and sons, and contradictory American attitudes about wealth.

Nothing ever changes at Wauregan... That is the mystique of the idyllic island summer colony, the comforting belief its multi-generation families have lived by for half a century. But in 1948, after a world war has upended countless lives, it is not certain that the islanders will be able to return to the old days and for Helen Wadsworth, the war is not over. Helen s husband, Arthur was declared missing in action during an OSS operation in France, and she is unable to find out what happened, or whether he might, even now, be alive. Raising a teenage son, who, like his mother longs to know the truth, Helen turns to Frank Hartman, her husband s best friend and his partner on the OSS mission on which Arthur was lost, while Frank escaped. But Frank seems more intent on filling the void in Helen s life, which Arthur has left than in answering her questions. And then Peter Gavin, a young Marine who was captured and tortured by the Japanese returns to the island with his faithful war dog; and man and dog enter the lives of Helen and her son. Unsure of whom to trust, or what to believe, Helen takes matters into her own hands. As she seeks the truth, she makes a shocking discovery that will alter the course of her life, and change her perceptions of love and war. A mystery, a love story and an insider s view of a private world, A Certain Summer resonates long after the last page is turned. Equal parts novel of manners, historical fiction, and a quiet examination of social mores, A Certain Summer weaves important questions about class, gender, trauma and family through its seemingly simple narrative as artfully as an experienced hostess arranges the seating at a dinner table, so that conversations flow .But Ms. Beard shows that even magical retreats like Wauregan are subject to the vicissitudes of the modern world .In the end it seems that Wauregan s magic prevails in its very ability to change in a way that stays true to its origins, or even more precisely, that magic prevails as Wauregan learns it must change to stay true to its origins. The East Hampton Star Woven into this tale of loss and romance are themes of intrigue, growth, betrayal, psychological trauma and a fulfilling healing process. Beard s attention to historical details and understanding of the realities and shortfalls of privilege make a satisfying read. Publisher s Weekly A richly evocative debut novel. Goodreads A really satisfying read I m crazy about A Certain Summer a perfect summer book. Bookreporter.com

Set in 1905, against a backdrop of magnificence, excess and corrupting glamour, After the Ball's themes are stunningly fresh: greed and chicanery, flawed love between fathers and sons, and contradictory American attitudes about wealth.Glamorous, cultured and ambitious - but fatally young and naive - James Hazen Hyde was twenty-three when he inherited the majority shares in the billion-dollar Equitable Life Assurance Society in 1899. Five years later, at the pinnacle of social and financial success, he made a fatal miscalculation, and set in motion the first great Wall Street scandal of the twentieth century.On the last night of January 1905, Hyde gave one of the most fabulous balls of the Gilded Age. Falsely accused of charging the party to his company, he was sucked into a maelstrom of allegations of corporate malfeasance that involved the era's most famous financiers and industrialists. Wonderfully foreboding...exactly on pitch...a textured and compelling tragedy USA Today

In the first half of the 20th century, the golden age of newspapers, the colorful, charismatic, and controversial Roy W. Howard reigned as the most famous publisher, editor and journalist of his time. Named one of “The 29 Men Who ‘Rule’ America’” on the front page of the New York Times, Howard built the United Press; was chairman of Scripps-Howard, one of the two biggest newspaper empires in the United States; and was president and editor of the New York World-Telegram. The first global news entrepreneur, he was a model for journalism in the digital age.Howard traveled 2.5 million miles to land unique scoops, and was the privileged confidante of every US president from Woodrow Wilson to Dwight D. Eisenhower. He met privately and conducted one-on-one interviews with President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Stalin, Hitler, Churchill, and the Emperor of Japan, and advised the most renowned figures of his time, among them a muddled Duke of Windsor, a grieving Charles Lindberg, and a desperate Chang Kai-shek. Based on fifty years of Roy Howard’s privately held diaries, and thousands of pages of his “Strictly Confidential” memoranda, Newsmaker’s author Patricia Beard takes the reader behind the scenes of a turbulent era, and provides background to the role of journalism in the digital age.