Who Runs Britain?
...and who's to blame for the economic mess we're in
Published on 30. October 2008
Book
Paperback/Softback
368 pages
978-0-340-83944-7 (ISBN)
Description
'A compelling portrait of early 21st-century casino capitalism ... essential reading.' - The Times
On 13 September 2007, Robert Peston broke the news that Northern Rock had become a victim of the global credit crunch and was seeking an emergency loan from the Bank of England.
It was the latest in a long line of scoops by this award-winning journalist. Over the weeks that followed, the Government found itself exposed to the Rock to the tune of GBP57 billion, or almost GBP2000 for every taxpayer. As Robert Peston shows in this fascinating book, the seeds for the collapse of Northern Rock and the upheavals in the financial markets were sown years before.
Who Runs Britain? is the first time anyone has drawn all the threads together to weave a story that's rich in extraordinary characters and outrageous feats of economic bravado. This book is about the widening gap between the super-rich and the rest of us. It explores and explodes the myth that the financial creativity of those who are amassing these vast fortunes is good for the wider economy and for all of us.
Whether you're a financial expert or just have a bank account, Who Runs Britain? is a book you must read.
On 13 September 2007, Robert Peston broke the news that Northern Rock had become a victim of the global credit crunch and was seeking an emergency loan from the Bank of England.
It was the latest in a long line of scoops by this award-winning journalist. Over the weeks that followed, the Government found itself exposed to the Rock to the tune of GBP57 billion, or almost GBP2000 for every taxpayer. As Robert Peston shows in this fascinating book, the seeds for the collapse of Northern Rock and the upheavals in the financial markets were sown years before.
Who Runs Britain? is the first time anyone has drawn all the threads together to weave a story that's rich in extraordinary characters and outrageous feats of economic bravado. This book is about the widening gap between the super-rich and the rest of us. It explores and explodes the myth that the financial creativity of those who are amassing these vast fortunes is good for the wider economy and for all of us.
Whether you're a financial expert or just have a bank account, Who Runs Britain? is a book you must read.
Reviews / Votes
A compelling portrait of early 21st century casino capitalism ... essential reading. -- Howard Davies * <i>The Times</i> * Fluent, incredibly up to the minute look at Britain ... Peston, in relaxed, conversational style is a great travelling companion along the highways of finance. * <i>Observer</i> * This lucid and timely guide to the world of turbo-capitalism ... absorbing book, essential reading for anyone who wants to know how the British economy now operates. -- Peter Wilby * <i>Guardian</i> * Peston catches the zeitgeist of Britain and the paradox that is Gordon Brown. * <i>Financial Times</i> * Peston is our rock... The triumph of Robert Peston makes me proud of my old paper, the BBC and of journalism in general. -- Sarah Sands * <i>Independent on Sunday </i> * A devastating account of Blair's producer capture by high finance... Peston navigates with ease the shark-infested waters of hedge funds, sub-prime borrowing, defined-benefit pensions and loans for honours. -- Simon Jenkins * Sunday Times * This remains the most riveting book on finance you may ever bother to read. * <i>Evening Standard</i> * Engaging -- Harry Mount * <i>Telegraph</i> * wonderful clarity * <i>Sunday Telegraph </i> * Starkly lucid -- Polly Toynbee * <i>Guardian</i> * Book of the year * <i>Financial Times</i> * I recommend this book -- Nicholas Lezard * <i>Guardian</i> *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Hodder & Stoughton
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Illustrations
None
Dimensions
Height: 196 mm
Width: 129 mm
Thickness: 24 mm
Weight
240 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-340-83944-7 (9780340839447)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
10/2008
Hodder & Stoughton Ltd
€3.99
Available for download
Person
Robert Peston is ITV's political editor, presenter of the politics show Peston, co-host of the podcast The Rest is Money and founder of the education charity, Speakers for Schools (www.speakers4schools.org). He has written seven books, including How Do We Fix This Mess?, Who Runs Britain?, Brown's Britain, WTF?, The Whistleblower and The Crash. For a decade until the end of 2015, he was at the BBC as economics editor and business editor. Peston has won more than 30 awards for his journalism, including Journalist of the Year and Scoop of the Year (twice) from the Royal Television Society. His blog is itv.com/robertpeston, and he is @Peston on Twitter.