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William L. Simon
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Gil Amelio
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On the Firing Line: My 500 Days at Apple Paperback – April 7, 1999

by Gil Amelio (Author), William L Simon (Author)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 33 ratings
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On the Firing Line: My 500 Days at Apple is Gil Amelio's gripping and fast-paced recollection of what happened during his seventeen months as the CEO of Apple. This is the revealing story of how a proven high-technology turnaround artist took on the biggest challenge of his career--and perhaps his life.

At once a frank revelation of the inner workings of Apple and a cautionary tale of business in today's changing marketplace, On the Firing Line is a must-read for Apple devotees and anyone interested in the politics of today's digital economy.

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  1. Print length
    320 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Harper Paperbacks
  4. Publication date
    April 7, 1999
  5. Dimensions
    5.31 x 0.69 x 8 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0887309194
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0887309199
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"A worthy addition to the growing body of history about the world'smost famous personal computing company." -- PC Week

"A fast-paced, heartfelt look at life as a Silicon Valley chieftain...Compelling." -- Peter Burrows, Business Week

From the Back Cover

On the Firing Line: My 500 Days at Apple is Gil Amelio's gripping and fast-paced recollection of what happened during his seventeen months as the CEO of Apple. This is the revealing story of how a proven high-technology turnaround artist took on the biggest challenge of his career--and perhaps his life.

At once a frank revelation of the inner workings of Apple and a cautionary tale of business in today's changing marketplace, On the Firing Line is a must-read for Apple devotees and anyone interested in the politics of today's digital economy.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harper Paperbacks (April 7, 1999)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0887309194
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0887309199
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8.5 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.31 x 0.69 x 8 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 33 ratings

About the authors

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  1. William L. Simon

    William L. Simon

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    William L. Simon is the author or co-author of more than 30 books, including numerous New York Times, national, and international bestsellers. Born in Washington, DC, he holds two degrees from Cornell University, and has been a freelance writer ever since -- first as a writer of documentaries, corporate, and informational films, then as a book author. He is a member of the Writers Guild of America, West, and now lives in Los Angeles.

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  2. Gil Amelio

    Gil Amelio

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    Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
33 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

GCP
5.0 out of 5 stars A fun read for the true apple history buffs.
Reviewed in the United States on July 28, 2013
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I bought this out of sheer curiosity. Had know of it for years, but after really brushing up on Apple history again through books like Apple (1997), The Little Kingdom, Fire in the Valley, Odyssey, The Second Coming of Steve Jobs, among others, it added some great color to an fascinating period when Apple nearly collapsed and brings to light in great detail the return of Steve Jobs to Apple in 1997. Read it as a way to set the stage for what Jobs was walking into when he made his return. Best taken with a grain of salt and taken in context with Apple (1997) and the Second Coming of Steve Jobs. Amelio's approach could not have been more different than Jobs'. Amelio opted for the basic nuts and bolts textbook approach to restoring Apple while Jobs threw out the textbook and defied all common wisdom. It's fun to compare the two, especially if you follow this book with the more recent Inside Apple book that offers the most in-depth look at how Apple has been run since Jobs' return.
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Larry
5.0 out of 5 stars One of Gil's only articles where he could explain his side of the story.
Reviewed in the United States on July 10, 2013
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The abrupt firing of Gil in 1997 did actually frighten Apple but not as much as everyone would believe. According to this book he explains how he could never get hold of the catastrophe that was Apple Computer but did all he could to make it survive for another year and a half no matter how much the press would scare the public with the demise of Apple or give it bad publicity. Whenever the press gave Apple another three months, Gil would double that.
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SW
4.0 out of 5 stars Surprisingly forthright
Reviewed in the United States on September 7, 2014
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Amelio is surprisingly forthright in describing his point of view during his tenure. He is completely full of himself from the first page to the last. But the book is still a very interesting read especially if you just read the Jobs book by Isaacson. That book actually has a more important CEO of Apple but perhaps was not nearly as open of an autobiography. This book you get the full flavor of how he makes his decisions. And it's fascinating comparing his point of view with Jobs.

A lot of people will disagree with Gil's point of view. His glowing about things he did that seems lame like the "campaign for distinctively superior user value". Or his ability to describe all the problems at Apple and tell the relevant managers to fix the problem. He downplays his biggest success like the purchase of NeXT computer. (Apple would be bankrupt if he went with Be). Bringing in Jobs and people from NeXT. (Can you image Amelio's team creating the iPhone). You can almost say Gil saved the company with those decisions. Still interesting to hear him debate those decisions in his head since they hurt him personally.

If you have worked in the tech field long enough you will work under managers that seems to have limited knowledge about the relevant tasks at hand. This book is a case study in sort of how that culture exists and keeps going even when evidence that the leaders need to be replaced are obvious. Gil made some good moves as CEO with keeping it afloat financially and but having direct reports that were not super knowledgeable was his likely downfall. To Gil's credit the book is honest enough about the situation that you can decide for yourself.

Recommend this book for open minded folks.
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scrubnick
5.0 out of 5 stars Great behind-the-scenes look at Apple
Reviewed in the United States on November 5, 2019
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It was very interesting to get the perspective on the situation at Apple prior to Steve Jobs coming back. Very well written piece with some valuable insights from the CEO perspective.
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Steven Smith
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book! Very Readable with sincerity throughout.
Reviewed in the United States on April 18, 1998
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This is an excellent book. A must read for anyone following the continuing drama that is Apple Computer. Dr. Amelio recounts his tale as CEO for Apple with vivid detail, brutal honesty and charming wit. He paints a picture of Apple as seen through the eyes of a CEO. This isn't a book that cries for pity-far from it. It clearly lays out for the reader what Amelio succeeded and failed at. After I read it, I had a new appreciation for this man. You really hate Steve Jobs when you finish reading this book. Clearly Amelio made siginificant contributions to Apple Computer and I don't think he gets the credit he deserves.
2 people found this helpful
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Peter Clark
2.0 out of 5 stars Bedtime for Gil
Reviewed in the United States on August 18, 2001
See Gil. See Gil run apple. See Gil get fired. Poor Gil.
This book has some interesting observations about apple culture, and a couple lessons for tech managers, but it's also full of self-congratulatory prose, with an occasional good dollop of self-pity. It's also written at around a 4th grade level - there were lots of opportunities for deeper analysis of what happened at apple, why Gil's strategies for turning the place around might have worked or might have failed, NeXT vs Be, and how apple changed as an organization. Unfortunately, Amelio and his co-author never delve into the details.
17 people found this helpful
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Andrey Antonov
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2015
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Great!!
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Top reviews from other countries

cegi 1967
5.0 out of 5 stars excellent
Reviewed in Italy on November 26, 2014
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Excellent . a different perspective on the magic world of Apple. Inspiring.... After so many years stili a very worthwhile book
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Chris B
5.0 out of 5 stars Can;t put it down
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 11, 2014
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You feel like you are there, an exhausting but gripping read. Good exposure of Jobs too.. not that people will pay enough attention to that.
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AH
2.0 out of 5 stars I sort of understand why this guy was sacked
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 23, 2013
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It was interesting, it provides a different perspective on the inner workings of the world's most secretive company. I do like their products, and I think Steve Jobs was interesting and great, with many faults. The problem with Mr. Amelio is that he does not seem to know his own emotions about his turbulent times at the company, one moment he is ok with something, the next he is not.

It is an interesting read, but take it with a pinch of salt.
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