Synopses & Reviews
A dazzling tale of incredible wealth, ferocious disputes, beautiful women, private jets, mega-yachts, the world's best soccer players, and chauffeur-driven Range Rovers with tinted windows
The amazing true story of how London became home to the Russian super-rich, this explosive book tells the tale of a group of buccaneering Russian oligarchs who made colossal fortunes after the collapse of communismand then came to London to enjoy their newfound wealth. From the origin of their journeys in Moscow and St. Petersburg to mansions in Mayfair, Knightsbridge, and Surrey, the book plunges into a shimmering world of audacious multibillion-pound deals, outrageous spending, and rancorous feuds. While Londons flashiest restaurants echoed with Russian laughter and Bond Street shop-owners totted up their profits, however, darker events were also playing themselves out. The killing of ex-KGB man Alexander Litvinenko in London and the deathin a helicopter crash he all but predictedof Stephen Curtis, the lawyer to many of Britains richest Russians, chilled Londons Russians and many who know them. This story of how Russias wealth was harvested and brought to London is a must-read for anyone interested in how vast wealth is created, the luxury it can buy, and the power and intrigue it produces.
Synopsis
The amazing true story of how London became home to the Russian super-rich. A dazzling tale of incredible wealth, ferocious disputes, beautiful women, private jets, mega-yachts, the world's best footballers - and chauffeur-driven Range Rovers with tinted windows.
A group of buccaneering Russian oligarchs made colossal fortunes after the collapse of communism - and many of them came to London to enjoy their new-found wealth. Londongrad tells for the first time the true story of their journeys from Moscow and St Petersburg to mansions in Mayfair, Knightsbridge and Surrey - and takes you into a shimmering world of audacious multi-billion pound deals, outrageous spending and rancorous feuds.
But while London's flashiest restaurants echoed to Russian laughter and Bond Street shop-owners totted up their profits, darker events also played themselves out. The killing of ex-KGB man Alexander Litvinenko in London to the death - in a helicopter crash he all but predicted - of Stephen Curtis, the lawyer to many of Britain's richest Russians, chilled London's Russians and many of those who know them.
This is the story of how Russia's wealth was harvested and brought to London - some of it spent by Roman Abramovich on his beloved Chelsea Football Club, some of it spent by Boris Berezovsky in his battles with Russia's all-powerful Vladimir Putin. Londongrad is a must-read for anyone interested in how vast wealth is created, the luxury it can buy and the power and intrigue it produces.
About the Author
Mark Hollingsworth is a regular contributer to the Financial Times, Guardian, and Sunday Times. He is the author of Saudi Babylon and Thatcher's Fortunes. Stewart Lansley is an award-winning television and radio producer, and the author of Top Man: How Philip Green Built His High Street Empire.