Pride Before the Fall: The Trials of Bill Gates and the End of the Microsoft Era

HNavigating the myriad twists and turns of the landmark antitrust suit against Microsoft, Heilemann forges a gripping, breakneck account of contemporary law applied to business conduct, peopled with rival visionaries, guardians of the public interest and brilliant trial lawyers. A former staff writer for the New Yorker and the Economist, Heilemann covered the case as a special correspondent for Wired in November; this is an expanded version of that extensive article. Having gained the trust of almost every major player, Heilemann vividly depicts the adversaries and their positions. In July 2000, Bill Gates told him, ""We believe that what we've done is absolutely pro-competitive, and it's our right to stick up for that."" Joel Klein, the Justice Department's assistant attorney general during the trial, is equally forthcoming: ""What we found in Microsoft was a serious pattern of practices and behavior that... was predatory, lawless, and indefensible."" Heilemann's insight into the legal process and his analysis of Gates's videotaped deposition, overseen by chief government counsel David Boies (now representing Vice-President Gore on ballot issues), are themselves worth the price of admission. Wherever readers' sympathies lie, Heilemann's careful timeline illuminates the points at which the case could have been settled. With journalistic panache, Heilemann explicates the reasons that both sides chose to await the ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals in spring 2001. (Jan. 23) Forecast: A major marketing campaign including national print and broadcast coverage as well as author appearances in West Coast cities will raise this title's profile. Display alongside U.S. v. Microsoft: The Inside Story of the Landmark Case by New York Times reporters Joel Brinkley and Steve Lohr could draw people to both titles, with the edge probably going to Heilemann's book.