The Bank That Lived a Little
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  • Published: 4 July 2019
  • ISBN: 9780141987538
  • Imprint: Penguin Press
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 448
  • RRP: $45.00

The Bank That Lived a Little

Barclays in the Age of the Very Free Market

Formats & editions
Audiobook
13 Dec 2018
Paperback
4 Jul 2019
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The roller-coaster story of one of the UK's biggest national financial institutions over the past thirty years

Based on unparalleled access to those involved, and told with compelling pace and drama, The Bank that Lived a Little is the story of one of the most familiar names on the British high street since Big Bang in 1986. Philip Augar describes three decades of boardroom intrigue driven by ruthless ambition, grandiose dreams and a desire for wealth.

This is an extraordinary corporate thriller, an inside chronicle of personal feuds, but much more besides: Augar shows that Barclays' experiences are a paradigm for Britain's social and economic life over thirty years, which saw the City move from the edge of the economy to its very centre. These decades created unprecedented prosperity for a tiny number, and made the reputations of governments and individuals but then left many of them in tatters. The leveraged society, the winner-takes-all mentality and our present era of austerity can all be traced to the influence of banks such as Barclays. Augar's book tells this rollercoaster story from the perspective of many of its participants - and also of those affected by the grip they came to have on Britain.
  • Published: 4 July 2019
  • ISBN: 9780141987538
  • Imprint: Penguin Press
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 448
  • RRP: $45.00
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About the author

Philip Augar

Philip Augar worked in investment banking for over twenty years. He led NatWest's global equity and bond business before becoming a Group Managing Director at Schroders. Since 2000 he has combined consulting and writing. This is his fifth book. He can be contacted at: www.philipaugar.com

Also by Philip Augar

Reckless Brain Shot
Reckless
The Death of Gentlemanly Capitalism
The Greed Merchants
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Praise for The Bank That Lived a Little

He tells the financial story of our age

Alec Russell, Financial Times

A brilliantly readable account, based on exceptional access to most of those involved, of the transformation of the old Quaker bank into a hard-charging capitalist adventurer. ... Philip Augar's book is both a thriller and a reminder that business is fascinating because all human life is there.

John Plender, Financial Times

A riveting and revealing account of how a bank of high moral character with Quaker origins ended up in the sewer thanks to ambition and greed.

Iain Martin, The Times

Once you start reading Philip Augar's well-researched book, you are captivated. ... What makes The Bank That Lived a Little a must-read is the way in which, in its pages, Barclays comes to embody all that has been, and possibly still is, wrong with the entire banking sector.

Vicky Pryce, Literary Review