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Butler to the World
- How Britain Became the Servant of Tycoons, Tax Dodgers, Kleptocrats and Criminals
- Narrated by: Oliver Bullough
- Length: 8 hrs and 6 mins
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Summary
The Suez Crisis of 1956 was Britain's 20th-century nadir, the moment when the once superpower was bullied into retreat. In the immortal words of former US Secretary of State Dean Acheson, 'Britain has lost an empire and not yet found a role.' But the funny thing was, Britain had already found a role. It even had the costume. The leaders of the world just hadn't noticed it yet.
Butler to the World reveals how the UK took up its position at the elbow of the worst people on Earth: the oligarchs, kleptocrats and gangsters. We pride ourselves on values of fair play and the rule of law, but few countries do more to frustrate global anticorruption efforts. We are now a nation of Jeeveses, snobbish enablers for rich halfwits of considerably less charm than Bertie Wooster. It doesn't have to be that way.
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- Toby Adams
- 06-04-22
Excellent, but shocking
First-class exposé of how the UK is winning the global race to the bottom when it comes to money laundering and double standards - and has been winning it for years.
Not an easy listen for anybody with any affection for Britain, but an essential listen nonetheless.
I will be reading/listening to more by this author.
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9 people found this helpful
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- D. Cottam
- 24-04-22
Magisterial
Oliver Bullough dissects the hypocrisy of the British financial services industry with this deft, almost humorous account of fraud and skullduggery. What a nation of complacent cads we are.
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7 people found this helpful
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- Christopher Golightly
- 21-04-22
Revealing and Horrible
Very revealing and dies confirm that things have fallen to a very low point in Britain when one realises how much of the country's well-being has been down to Imperial gain followed by crookedness.
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4 people found this helpful
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- Catherine
- 22-04-22
Revelatory
I learned so much about money laundering and tax evasion by reading this well researched shocking book. Read it along with Kleptopia by Tom Burgis
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2 people found this helpful
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- michael mortimer
- 15-03-22
tedious
a money spinner for his publishers. gave up after 4 chapters. tediously intricate history of Suez and the city and i shouldve stopped after Moneyland, which was informative.
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2 people found this helpful
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- anthony wickham
- 12-06-23
It all makes sense now! So very well researched.
Oliver Bullough probably had to prune half a million words from his manuscript in creating this book, because this book is so well researched.
I - for one - am glad that he kept it punchy and pithy. It is packed full of facts, but is accessible, informative and entertaining never losing its tempo or the reader from start to finish.
This book highlights aspects to the Britain that are disappointing, amoral and at odds with the ‘brand’ that we broadcast to the rest of the world.
After reading it, the rhetoric from politicians and some of their decisions finally made sense. I urge people to read this book, because much as we have created ‘Butler Britain’ from the ashes of the old Empire, most of the people I know would be appalled at how it operates and what it enables.
I think people still believe in the British approach to fairness and fair play and that it is ignorance that has let self serving, intelligent and talented people dress up corruption and pull the wool over our eyes.
Maybe I just wearing rose coloured glasses, but I dearly hope not.
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- Marion W.
- 04-06-23
Unputdownable
I marvel at the discrepancy between how the UK likes to see itself (democratic, abolished slavery, defeated the Nazis, defender of the underdog) and what is exposed in this brilliantly researched and superbly presented book: a butler Britain enabling kleptocrats from around the globe, helping them disguise their misdeeds and hide their ill gotten wealth from their countries of origin and from taxation. This book should be required reading for all MPs and for anyone with political ambitions. Thank you, Oliver Bullough, for bringing this to light. I look forward to going on one of your kleptocracy tours and seeing a new and unfamiliar side of London.
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- D. Smith
- 22-05-23
Fascinating and disgusting in equal measures
Well researched, well written, and well performed. A fascinating look ar how Britain (let's be honest, mainly England) went from a falling empire to a financial facilitator since the war. Disgusting because it's culminated in significant social impacts at home and abroad which are just shrugged off by those who profited from them.
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- Jiri
- 10-05-23
Fascinating book!
It’s like a peak behind a mirror. Exciting and surprising in many ways. Plus really enjoyable narration and story.
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- Bjørn-Rune Hanssen
- 27-02-23
This book has significantly changed how I analyze Beitish politics
Brilliantly researched and presented, with what I have come to consider an invaluable framing device in the ‘butler Britain’ notion. Fantastic book.
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