When the 1983 merger between the American Express Bank and Edmond Safra's Trade and Development Bank failed, Safra reestablished himself with an independent banking concern that would compete directly with American Express. Burrough, coauthor of Barbarians at the Gate ( LJ 1/90), tells of an ill-founded and vindictive attempt by individuals hired by American Express to discredit Safra in the media. Though the incident was mentioned in Jon Friedman's House of Cards (Putnam, 1992), Burrough's insight into the culture clash between the parties gives fascinating dimension to a story that spans almost a decade and involves unsavory players in the affairs of a multinational corporation. For both lay readers and specialists.-- Joseph Barth, U.S. Military Acad. Lib., West Point, N.Y. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information