Preview
  • Cable Cowboy

  • John Malone and the Rise of the Modern Cable Business
  • By: Mark Robichaux
  • Narrated by: Michael Butler Murray
  • Length: 12 hrs and 50 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (269 ratings)

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Cable Cowboy

By: Mark Robichaux
Narrated by: Michael Butler Murray
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Publisher's summary

An inside look at a cable titan and his industry

John Malone, hailed as one of the great unsung heroes of our age by some and reviled by others as a ruthless robber baron, is revealed as a bit of both in Cable Cowboy. For more than 25 years, Malone has dominated the cable television industry, shaping the world of entertainment and communications, first with his cable company, TCI, and later with Liberty Media. Written with Malone's unprecedented cooperation, the engaging narrative brings this controversial capitalist and businessman to life. Cable Cowboy is at once a penetrating portrait of Malone's complex persona, and a captivating history of the cable TV industry.

Told in a lively style with exclusive details, the audiobook shows how an unassuming copper strand started as a backwoods antenna service and became the digital nervous system of the US, an evolution that gave US consumers the fastest route to the Internet. Cable Cowboy reveals the forces that propelled this pioneer to such great heights, and captures the immovable conviction and quicksilver mind that have defined John Malone throughout his career.

©2003 Mark Robichaux (P)2019 Tantor
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What listeners say about Cable Cowboy

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Good Bio of John Malone

Good bio of John Malkne and cable industry. Not exceptionally written or performed, but if you're interested in how Malone succeeded, this gives you a good timeline.

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Great story and wonderful performance

This was a great story of the history of the cable industry, TCI, and John Malone. Such an impressive story and a fun read.

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Local knowledge

Knowing lots of the players in the story of Malone & his band of brothers in action

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Great Book

Super interesting and very well read. Lots of history around the whole cable industry.

Solid audiobook

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I haven’t listen to an audiobook this quickly in a long time

Great book if you like reading about business biographies. Malone flies under the radar but for the people to know about them they tend to own all of these different tracking stocks. This is a great history and probably one of the few books That will ever be written about him. Honestly there could be a sequel written because a lot as happened since then

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The back room is where it all happens...

This is a story about an industry and a man, and a man who became an industry. I've been in the Cable business for 40 years and if there's anything one learns early on, never bet against John Malone. This book explains why.

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Great business lessons

Really good practical frugal business lessons from a moment in time A lot can be learned by how the loan structured deals

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Great history of broadband

Well written and researched book on history of cable / broadband development. I worked on many TCI related deals in the 90s and appreciated the backgrounds on the companies and players.

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Decent Business Book but Boring

Ok book, very boring. Could of been told in three hours. Malone is a brilliant business man.

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Story of one of the greatest Businessmen in the world

I thought the story was well laid out as far as the timeline and paints a very descriptive Picture of one of the most amazing businessman in the world. I’m from Parker Colorado and so I’ve seen Mr. Malone around a few times he’s always very kind and very cordial. He’s very well liked in the town but I think that this biography doesn’t a great honor and allows all of us to find out more about him. The story stops in 2002 he’s done so much more sense than that I hope the author will make a sequel to it

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1 person found this helpful