The City

A Guide to London’s Global Financial Centre

Richard Roberts

ISBN 1 86197 632 1

ISBN 13 9781861976321

August 2004

Price £20.00

Hardback, 288 pp.

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Subject: Business

Other formats available: Hardback

A comprehensive guide to the City – its markets, mechanisms and players.

Designed as a companion to Richard Roberts’s earlier Economist guide to Wall Street, The City provides comprehensive, relevant and up-to-date coverage of what goes on in the City and its role as a global financial centre and as the leading financial centre in Europe.

Individual chapters focus on the City’s various wholesale international financial markets and institutions – from the money markets to the securities industry, commodities to shipping, the Bank of England to the Financial Services Authority. Other chapters review its historical development and the scandals that have dogged its reputation. Finally, the book looks at the outlook for the City and the challenges it faces – the current downturn, the impact of developments in communications technology, the threat from Wall Street, and what difference the euro is making and will make.

In addition, there are appendices giving details of City institutions and organisations, profiles of the principal City players, and key City events from the late 17th century.

‘an authoritative and comprehensive guide to the UK's financial system.’
— Philip Coggan, Financial Times

‘An up-to-date overview of the City's role as a financial centre has been missing for too long. Roberts's book fills the gap admirably and will become the standard work of reference. It also makes a very good read, with some trenchant comment on City scandals as well as a welcome historical perspective.’
— John Plender, Financial Times