Books › Moneyland
Moneyland
392 pages
A globe-trotting, infuriating tour through the hidden financial plumbing of the ultra-rich.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like being handed the blacklight needed to see the invisible stains on the global economy. It is a brisk, globe-trotting piece of investigative journalism that reads with the propulsive energy of a spy thriller, yet leaves you with the lingering dread of reality. The narrative pulls you through shadowy shell companies, opulent London townhouses, and offshore tax havens, translating dizzyingly complex financial crimes into sharp, accessible prose. The mood is a potent mix of wry cynicism and mounting outrage, immersing you in a world where borders are for the poor and laws are mere suggestions for the ultra-rich. It will delight fans of narrative non-fiction who want to understand the hidden architecture of modern power, even if the truth makes their blood boil.
- Mood
- shadowy
- infuriating
- globe-trotting
- cynical
- Tone
- urgent
- wry
- indignant
- investigative
- sharp
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- the architecture of greed · corrosion of democracy · hidden power structures · the illusion of borders · systemic inequality
- The writing
- Accessible and narrative-driven, translating complex financial mechanisms into gripping, almost cinematic storytelling.
- The arc
- Moves from a sense of bewildered curiosity into mounting outrage, ending on a faint but urgent note of defiant hope.
- Who it's for
- Readers who crave narrative non-fiction that exposes the hidden wiring of the modern world and aren't afraid to get angry about it.
Content notes
- systemic injustice
- political corruption
- financial crimes
About the book
From ruined towns on the edge of Siberia, to Bond-villain lairs in Knightsbridge and Manhattan, something has gone wrong with the workings of the world. Once upon a time, if an official stole money, there wasn't much he could do with it. He could buy himself a new car or build himself a nice house or give it to his friends and family, but that was about it. If he kept stealing, the money would just pile up in his house until he had no rooms left to put it in, or it was eaten by mice. And then some bankers in London had a bright idea. Join the investigative journalist Oliver Bullough on a journey into Moneyland - the secret country of the lawless, stateless superrich. Learn how the institutions of Europe and the United States have become money-laundering operations, undermining the foundations of Western stability. Discover the true cost of being open for business no matter how corrupt and dangerous the customer. Meet the kleptocrats. Meet their awful children. And find out how heroic activists around the world are fighting back. This is the story of wealth and power in the 21st century. It isn't too late to change it.--Publisher's website.
Description from Open Library.
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