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Butler to the World

How Britain Became the Servant of Tycoons, Tax Dodgers, Kleptocrats and Criminals

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Butler to the World

By: Oliver Bullough
Narrated by: Oliver Bullough
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About this listen

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.

©2022 Oliver Bullough (P)2022 Hachette Audio UK Social Classes & Economic Disparity Sociology Funny Socialism Taxation Capitalism

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All stars
Most relevant  
It's hard to take it all in on one read. I'll have to go through it again at some point, but I feel like I've learned a lot about why British financial institutions are a bit rubbish.

Very Informative

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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

Revelatory

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Oliver does a fantastic job of explaining and involving you in the story. It's not just about Brexit, it's about so much more, but it makes sense of the mess we are now in.

Making sense of Brexit, follow the money!

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It’s like a peak behind a mirror. Exciting and surprising in many ways. Plus really enjoyable narration and story.

Fascinating book!

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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.

Revealing and Horrible

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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.

Unputdownable

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A great listen and very eye opening. This is why I love investigative journalism the most.

World Class Journalism

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A superb take down of everything rotten with the city of London and the legion of shady hangers-on that infest it. A great argument for handing Gibraltar back to Spain as well.

Britain's Shame Exposed

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One that should be read and seriously considered by anyone in power who actually wants to do good in the world - so you can understand the bad Britain has done

Exceptional book

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Very interesting and informative book recommend it. Well researched, read, the book is one I will read again

Great read

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