From the Denver Post
From the Denver Post
“The insider access gives the book an intimate feel and introduces readers to one of the smartest men in the media business.”
— ‘Programmed to Win’ by Mark P. Couch. 01/06/2003
Amazon 03
“This is a fascinating, informative biography of one of the pioneers in the cable TV industry. It's essential reading for anyone who wants a deeper understanding of cablecos, their competitive environment, their video and equipment supply chains, their regulatory environment, relevant technology trends, the industry's financial backers, and the movers and shakers in the industry.“
— Graybeard
October 31, 2016
Amazon 05
“Awesome book. The complex machinations of Malone's dealmaking is simply fascinating & inspiring. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good business story. Also, there is much to be learned from a financial engineering and M&A basis and there are a ton of ideas for entrepreneurs to use in their own businesses.“
— Michael Gilson
May 2, 2013
Goodreads 06
“Fascinating read. Really the first time I've read a book that has simultaneously felt like history to me, but recent memory to my mother. I asked her if she remembered the introduction of the TV remote, for example, and she could very easily. But being a young person, I of course was not alive for most of cable's history. So all in all that was a neat experience.“
— Matthew
September 28, 2020
Goodreads 05
“Excellent read - highly recommended for anyone with an interest in business. John Malone started at TCI at an extremely difficult time in the business (high debt, having to deal with regulators in multiple cities, etc) and the baptism by fire probably helped to forge his signature hard headed, frugal and opportunistic capital discipline. Not all Buffett's book recommendations are equally good but this probably stands among the best (at least for the business reader).“
— Sy. C
March 14, 2018
Goodreads 04
“My main complaint about the popular finance book The Outsiders: Eight unconventional CEOs by Thorndike was that there wasn't enough detail about each individual person ... Well this book certainly checks the John Malone box! Cable Cowboy was a comprehensive and thorough review of his amazing career at TCI. Financially gifted, Malone was also a ruthless deal-maker and operator that managed to become the preeminent cable and media industry tycoon.
Pretty much a must read for anyone that has an interest in business I'd say.“
— Todd Wood
February 25, 2015
Goodreads 02
“Surprisingly interesting book. I didn’t have a strong grasp on the history of the big cable companies. They always just kind of seemed to be these huge entities with awful customer service. Turns out, there’s a long backstory there. And it’s interesting. Cable Cowboys does a good job explaining it all as it follows John Malone and his team at Telecommunications Inc (TCI). “
— Will Clausen
November 1, 2018
Goodreads 01
“…[W]hat truly makes this book great is the robust profile of Malone that Robichaux gives us. It’s not just a fawning glow piece. Malone is cast as a monster as much as a maven, mortal as much as invincible, an insecure sociopath as much as a loving family man. “
— Alex
July 18, 2020
From Library Journal
From Library Journal
“The author weaves an intricate tale of the cable industry and TCI as he reveals the brilliant deal-making strategies that built the largest cable company in the world…Recommended for media collections in public libraries and those interested in the "art of the deal." — Bellinda Wise, Nassau Community College Library, 01/15/2003
From Publishers Weekly
From Publishers Weekly
“Robichaux pens an account that is part Horatio Alger success story and part cautionary tale…Malone is a complicated hero; focused and driven, he built his empire largely through clever, complicated financing deals…” (2002)
Amazon 02
“The book is a hit, period! …I believe Cable Cowboy is the most thorough chronicling of the rise of one of the most important media segments of our time… Brilliant and ruthless by turns, he is capture as more than just a cartoon, one-dimensional figure. In other words, the author has greatly distanced himself from the approach that most journalists have taken in reporting on Malone. Robichaux wrote a timeless book, and its enduring relevancy is borne out by Malone's continuing presence in today's business headlines. I'd recommend this book to any and all who appreciate (or should appreciate) the power of the media business.“
— Tour de Force
July 15, 2013
Goodreads 03
“This is one of the best business books I've ever read. I learned an unbelievable amount about the history of cable and Internet from this book, and it has given me a much greater appreciation of why technology, media, and telecom are often grouped together. This book is as much about the history of the cable industry as it is about the life of John Malone, its central figure. From the early days of pulling local broadcast signals out of the sky to the dotcom bubble, the author does an exhaustive job chronicling all of the significant developments in the industry along the way… Malone comes across as a financial genius in the book, having become CEO of TCI in his early 30s.“
— Zhou Fang
July 23, 2021
From the Rocky Mountain News
From the Rocky Mountain News
“Robichaux says his goal was to show how America was wired with cable, offer an accurate portrait of Malone, and "understand what propels ordinary individuals to great heights." He's succeeded on all counts.”
— ‘A Connecticut Yankee who became a Cable King’ by David Milstead. 11/09/2002
From the Tycoonist.com
From the Tycoonist.com
“Almost 20 years on, the story of John Malone and the cable business remains incredibly relevant…The dude is still widely regarded as one of the great business minds of the century, and Mark Robichaux’s 2002 work Cable Cowboy is frequently mentioned as one of the best business books ever written.” (2021)
Walter Isaacson
“Robichaux has provided a smart assessment of the cable industry through the wild narrative of John Malone… and turned it into a tale that manages to be both colorful and informative.”
— Walter Isaacson
President and CEO of the Aspen Institute, former chairman of CNN, and author of Benjamin Franklin: An American Life
Ken Auletta
“With skill and precision, author Mark Robichaux paints a portrait of a man who is both fox and lamb, cunningly ruthless and surprisingly genuine. We get to watch a man who plays chess against opponents who merely play checkers. And we get a really good read.”
— Ken Auletta
Author of Media Man: Ted Turner's Improbable Empire and Three Blind Mice: How the TV Networks Lost Their Way
Bryan Burrough
"Cable Cowboy is a first-rate work by a first-rate reporter—excellent, original research on a topic that deserves it."
— Bryan Burrough
Co-Author of Barbarians at the Gate
Tom King
“John Malone’s remarkable climb [is] a tale worthy of a great cinematic Western. For the first time, we get a sharp picture of the man behind the mogul, an unflinching portrait of one of the business world’s sharpest deal-makers. I dare you to put it down.”
— Tom King
Author of Operator: David Geffen Builds Buys and Sells the new Hollywood
David Von Drehle
“A terrific saga of American enterprise—how lonely wires on windswept hillsides were stretched and spun into the Information Superhighway—as seen through the remarkable career of cable television's greatest entrepreneur.”
— David Von Drehle
Author of Triangle: The Fire That Changed America
Amazon 06
“Great book if you like a business book with lots of details.“
— G. W. Lisman
September 13, 2021