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.
BBC Business Editor Robert Peston lifts the lid on credit crunch Britain and the rise of the super-rich.
About the Author
Robert Peston is ITV's political editor, presenter of the politics show Peston on Sunday and founder of the education charity, Speakers for Schools (www.speakers4schools.org). He has written four books, How Do We Fix This Mess?, Who Runs Britain?, Brown's Britain and WTF?. For a decade until the end of 2015, he was at the BBC, as economics editor and business editor. Previously he was City editor at the Sunday Telegraph, political editor and financial editor at the FT, a columnist for the New Statesman, and at the Independent in various roles. Peston has won more than 30 awards for his journalism, including Journalist of the Year from the Royal Television Society. His blog is itv.com/robertpeston, on Facebook he is facebook.com/pestonITV and he is @peston on Twitter. Kishan Koria is the Editor of Peston on ITV where he also makes the channel's election debates. He's worked in television for seven years throughout which his colleagues have frequently suggested to him that British politics would soon calm down after a period of chaos! Prior to that he had a short stint as an Economics teacher for sixth form students. Bust? is the first book Kishan has co-written though he previously served as the researcher for Robert Peston's 2017 release, WTF?.
Reviews
A compelling portrait of early 21st century casino capitalism ... essential reading. -- Howard Davies * The Times *
Fluent, incredibly up to the minute look at Britain ... Peston, in relaxed, conversational style is a great travelling companion along the highways of finance. * Observer *
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 * Guardian *
Peston catches the zeitgeist of Britain and the paradox that is Gordon Brown. * Financial Times *
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 * Independent on Sunday *
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. * Evening Standard *
Engaging -- Harry Mount * Telegraph *
wonderful clarity * Sunday Telegraph *
Starkly lucid -- Polly Toynbee * Guardian *
Book of the year * Financial Times *
I recommend this book -- Nicholas Lezard * Guardian *
Awards
Short-listed for Heathrow Travel Product Award: Travel Read, Non-Fiction 2009.
Book Information
ISBN 9780340839447
Author Robert Peston
Format Paperback
Page Count 368
Imprint Hodder Paperback
Publisher Hodder & Stoughton
Weight(grams) 260g
Dimensions(mm) 197mm * 164mm * 26mm
