{"product_id":"9780141987538-the-bank-that-lived-a-little","title":"The Bank That Lived a Little","description":"\u003cmeta content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\" http-equiv=\"Content-Type\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBarclays in the Age of the Very Free Market\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'A brilliantly readable account, based on exceptional access, of the  transformation of the old Quaker bank into a hard-charging capitalist  adventurer . both a thriller and a reminder that business is  fascinating because all human life is there' John Plender, \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eFinancial Times\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003eBased on unparalleled access to those involved, and told with compelling pace and drama, \u003ci\u003eThe Bank that Lived a Little\u003c\/i\u003e describes  three decades of boardroom intrigue at one of Britain's biggest  financial institutions. In a tale of feuds, grandiose dreams and a  struggle for supremacy between rival strategies and their adherents,  Philip Augar gives a riveting account of Barclays' journey from an old  Quaker bank to a full-throttle capitalist machine. The disagreement  between those ambitious for Barclays to join the top table of global  banks, and those preferring a smaller domestic role more in keeping with  the bank's traditions, cost three chief executives their jobs and  continues to divide opinion within Barclays, the City and beyond.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis  is an extraordinary corporate thriller, which among much else describes  how Barclays came to buy Lehman Brothers for a bargain price in 2008,  why it was so keen to avoid taking government funding during the  financial crisis, and the price shareholders have paid for a decade of  barely controlled ambition. But Augar also shows how 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rarewaves","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":30347105271905,"sku":"9780141987538","price":12.87,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0092\/7504\/8033\/files\/stand_32237249.jpg?v=1737102480","url":"https:\/\/www.rarewaves.com\/products\/9780141987538-the-bank-that-lived-a-little","provider":"Rarewaves.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}