'This book is, like Martin's column, a collection of tales from Britain's financial front line with the fun bits left in. A romp through the city, its characters and their foibles, then into Yorkshire, with occasional diversions to violin competitions in Kazakhstan, the cuisine of the Dordogne and the lagoons of Bora Bora. The world of business is mad, sometimes bad and always thrillingly unpredictable – but, as Spectator readers know, there is no better guide.'--Fraser Nelson, from the forewordSince 1992, the financial and business life of the UK and many other parts of the world has changed beyond all recognition; that change has been expertly and incisively charted in the writings of Martin Vander Weyer, business columnist of The Spectator.From 'Big Bang' of 1986, which irrevocably changed the culture of banking – and of the UK – through to the global crisis of 2008 and the subsequent financial scandals, the people, ideas and very existence of the City have been under scrutiny as never before. In this anthology of his very best writings from The Spectator and elsewhere, Martin Vander Weyer brings a sharp eye and a very personal style to bear on often controversial topics, alongside recollections of life in the City and dissections of the current state of play; deliciously evocative accounts of travel, culture, food and daily life; and, very occasionally, reflections on the travails of middle age. Beautifully written, this collection offers a warm, witty and insightful perspective on our changing times.
