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Who Runs Britain?: and Who's to Blame for the Economic Mess We're in
 
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Who Runs Britain?: and Who's to Blame for the Economic Mess We're in (Paperback)

by Robert Peston (Author)
3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
RRP: £8.99
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Product details

  • Paperback: 368 pages
  • Publisher: Hodder Paperbacks (30 Oct 2008)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0340839449
  • ISBN-13: 978-0340839447
  • Product Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.8 x 2.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 4,411 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories:

    #8 in  Books > Business, Finance & Law > Economics > Economic Conditions
    #19 in  Books > Study Books > Professional > Business & Management > Economics
    #59 in  Books > Society, Politics & Philosophy > Government & Politics

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Product Description

Review

'This remains the most riveting book on finance you may ever bother to read.'
--Evening Standard


Review

'A compelling portrait of early 21st century casino capitalism ... essential reading.' (Howard Davies, The Times 20081101)

'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 20081116)

'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 20081123)

'starkly lucid' (Polly Toynbee, Guardian 20081123)

'Peston catches the zeitgeist of Britain and the paradox that is Gordon Brown.' (Financial Times )

'engaging' (Harry Mount, Telegraph )

'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 in Independent on Sunday )

'This remains the most riveting book on finance you may ever bother to read.' (Evening Standard )

'I recommend this book' (Nicholas Lezard in The Guardian )

'wonderful clarity' (Sunday Telegraph )

'this remains the most riveting book on finance you may ever bother to read' (Scotsman )

Book of the year (Financial Times )
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Customer Reviews

19 Reviews
5 star:
 (7)
4 star:
 (3)
3 star:
 (4)
2 star:
 (3)
1 star:
 (2)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.5 out of 5 stars (19 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars The Credit Crunch: who dunnit?: a good read, 27 Dec 2008
By R. Parry (Bahamas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
To predict the future it is necessary to understand the past and Robert Peston's book is a valuable, well written and easy to read way to do this. It is the recent background to the business elite of a Britain that now faces an unprecedented financial mess

It gives colourful insight into the big personalities ( Philip Green, Stuart Rose, Allan Leighton ) the big financial organizations ( hedge funds private equity firms, and globalised investment banks) and the big politics which provide the backdrop to the dance of excess and greed that led us into the current melt down.

Much of the material is not new but it is very well told. It's a journalist's book rather than that of an historian. In truth it is really a number of different short books pulled together between one set of covers. It is a series of stand alone stories: Arcadia Group, Marks & Spencer's, Royal Mail, a who's who of hedge funds and private equity and the background to the sale of honours.

Peston has had a ringside seat for the past few years and this book allows us to share his privileged access. Most of the individual stories are fascinating, well written and related by a deeply well connected and knowledge insider. Although, to be honest, the chapter on pensions is rather hard going and only for real enthusiasts like Lord Turner who gets numerous mentions.

The title is a little misleading and echo perhaps of the seminal "Anatomy of Britain". by Anthony Sampson. "Credit Crunch: The Suspects" might have been a better alternative.

And finally in one sense the book is a mystery story. Does Peston like Gordon Brown and the Labour party or not? He seems unsure himself but at least it keeps the reader guessing.

All in all an adornment to any book shelf.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars worth it, 28 Dec 2008
By MrB "B" (Newmarket, Suffolk, UK) - See all my reviews
I got the impression that Peston was urged to put out a book quickly, so he used a lot of his old archive material (Green, M and S etc). But it's worth it as there are some good chapters on hedge funds, and a reminder that our banks were actually borrowing to buy all that toxic waste, which somehow drove home the stupidity of it all.
Not as good as his scoops!
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15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A clear explanation of why the financial crisis has happened , 23 Dec 2008
By A. J. Sudworth "tonysudworth" (UK) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)      
I liked this book a lot because it does not treat the reader like an idiot
What is also good is that he evidently has talked to the people involved and so it includes a huge amount of personal views from some of the main protagonists. His explanation of the greed of the finacial wizards, the wrong headed approach of the government and the effects on you and I is very clear - the only problem after reading this is that the depths of the problems in the financial sector look a lot worse and its clear that we as individuals will pay for this collective failure.
I did not give it five stars because of a style issue is that certain things were repeated a number of times so that it read a bit like a collection of essays but overall if you want to understand why we have the problems in the financial sector and now the real world economy then I can recommend this. Think of the plus when someone asks you what a Structured Investment Vehicle (SIV) is - and thanks to this you will know. You'll be bemused was to why it was ever thought a good idea, but you will know what it was and why valuing them became such a problem.
And finally it comprehensively shows the failings of the Prime Minister when he was chancellor - he may not have caused all the problems but the policies he pursued have made the problem worse for us all - and our grandchildren as well. Read this and I suspect that you will not see him as 'Super Gordon' after this.
Damm good read - making financial economics interesting !
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Who Runs Britain? by Robert Peston
This book deserves the accolade of the "number one Business Book Of the year" and clearly shows how new Labour has concentrated upon the wealthy and the city. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Mr. DE WALKER

1.0 out of 5 stars ho runs Britain?
When I started reading this book I could not put it down. Interesting and absorbing this well researched work divulges fascinating details and specifics about well known... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Sebastian B. Salama

4.0 out of 5 stars Not to heavy!
Robert Peston fascinates me. This book is an eyeopener - not totally dry, lots of pithy asides and he certainly has the 'ear' of some very important people.
Published 6 months ago by C. KELMAN

5.0 out of 5 stars IQ Rules OK
There is no doubt that those who run the country, as pointedly and eloquently identified in this book, have a high IQ. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Philip Welsby

1.0 out of 5 stars Who Indeed?
I waited for 348 pages to discover Who Runs Britain only to find that Robert Peston doesn't know. For sure, he gives a lucid and believable account of the mechanics of capital... Read more
Published 7 months ago by A. M. Gordon

2.0 out of 5 stars Book Has Wrong Title
The book does not tell us who runs Britain only who runs the City of London. It should have been titled Who Runs the City of London or The Jewish Chronicles (no I am not... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Honest John

5.0 out of 5 stars A very well written and informative book.
A very well written and informative book. For someone who works in retail I would say this is as must read. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Lucius

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant lucid insight into the world of finance
Mr Peston writes intelligently and interestingly and manages to make the most complex of subjects readily comprehensible to those of us who know little of the financial world... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Dr. W. H. Konarzewski

3.0 out of 5 stars Who Runs Britain
A very enlightening book. It describes how financial tricks have robbed the people of this country to enrich the few. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Solario

2.0 out of 5 stars Insights into the shakers and movers
I first noticed Robert Peston on BBC news during the early days of the credit crunch, when he whipped up a feeling of excitement with his strange use of STRESS in the middle of... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Peter Pearson

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