On the inside: A story of intrique and adventure, on Wall Street, in Washington, and in the jungles of Central America

For over half a century, The United Fruit Company was the most powerful economic and political force in Central America. The company was accustomed to winning its way by force, bribery, and political subversion, often in secret cooperation with the U.S. State Department and the CIA.Thomas McCann spent almost twenty years with the company. When he resigned in 1971 in his mid-thirties, he was corporate vice president in charge of public relations. A couple of years later, he decided to reveal the story of United Fruit: its ruthless rise, its unsavory methods, and its peculiar collapse under Eli Black, rabbi, corporate raider, and financial juggler. Originally published in 1976 under the title An American Company: The Tragedy of United Fruit, this new, updated edition has never been more timely.