Böcker av Peter Pugh

An inspiring but realistic look at money - and how the rich and successful managed to make it

Headline Britons paints a unique picture of British life in the 20th and 21st centuries by re-examining some of the country's most notable characters. Each book covers a five-year span, telling the stories of a number of people who, in that time, stood out among their contemporaries. As the General Strike of 1926 starkly illustrated, economic hardship continued to be the lodestone of the decade. An American import, the movies, revolutionised entertainment, while William Morris rapidly developed the motor car in Oxford. Peter Pugh brings these five years vividly to life through the stories of gay author Radclyffe Hall - whose seminal The Well of Loneliness also made people think again about sexual norms - John Logie Baird, whose development of the his television in these years presaged another great revolution in everyday life, and the comedian who captured many hearts, Noel Coward.

Headline Britons paints a unique picture of British life in the 20th and 21st centuries by re-examining some of the country's most notable characters. Each book covers a five-year span, telling the stories of a number of people who, in that time, stood out among their contemporaries. As the 1920s progressed and Britain tried to recover from the horrors of war, the country enjoyed a short postwar boom - seeing the development of household gadgets such as dishwashers, sterilisers and cigar lighters - but it did not last and soon unemployment grew. Peter Pugh shows in this book that despite the 'swinging twenties' being largely a myth, the decade was enlivened by mouldbreaking characters such as birth control pioneer Marie Stopes, father of the BBC John Reith, and Horatio Bottomley - perhaps the biggest business fraudster of all time.

Peter Pugh presents his selection of - not the best, fastest, most successful or richest - but the 50 most influential British men and women of the modern world - for good or ill. Pugh discusses and ranks the influence of scientists and inventors such as Francis Crick, John Logie Baird and Alan Turing; lawmakers and leaders like prime ministers Attlee, Churchill and Thatcher; entrepreneurs including James Dyson, Mary Quant and Terence Conran; and cultural icons like J.K. Rowling, who, in the words of Lisa Simpson no less, 'turned a generation of kids onto reading'. One of the most influential Britons in Pugh's book achieved influence by saying nothing for over 60 years, and the top three places are held by an economist, a scientist and a civil servant In what amounts to a whistle-stop tour through recent British history, this undoubtedly contentious and wholly enjoyable book will spark countless debates across our sceptred isle.

Papworth Hospital in Cambridgeshire, founded in 1916 to tackle the great killer disease of tuberculosis, is famous for carrying out the UK's first heart transplant operation in 1979. It followed this up not only with many other heart transplants but also with the UK's first heart and lung operation in 1984 and the world's first heart, lung and liver transplant in 1986. With unique access to Papworth's archives, historian Peter Pugh here tells the story of this ground-breaking hospital for the first time. Alongside the background to that first UK heart transplant - and the ethical controversies that surrounded it - Pugh explores the opposition to heart operations in general, Papworth's difficulties dealing with NHS authorities especially over funding, and the discussions for over 50 years as to whether the hospital should move alongside Addenbrooke's hospital in Cambridge. As an insight into the history of medicine and surgery in the UK, as well as a story literally of life and death, The Heart of the Matter will be compelling reading.

This is a book about the 75 years of a very successful accountancy practice. They are 75 important years both in the history of the United Kingdom, encompassing the Second World War and all the recessions and periods of growth in the 60-year period following that war, and in the history of accountancy and how it has had to adapt to both the changes in accounting practices and in accounting technology. As you will see, the Price Bailey story is one of growth from a single partner in one office to 22 partners in seven offices, not only in East Anglia but in the City and West End of London as well as in Guernsey in the Channel Islands. Price Bailey, which became a Limited Liability Partnership in 2004, is now the 29th biggest accountancy practice in the country. Its new Managing Director, Martin Clapson, is also Chairman of the European Board of the International Association of Professional Accountants (IAPA). Many people view accountants as a necessary adjunct to their life because the law of the land demands that financial dealings, whether personal or corporate, be properly assessed and recorded and that the correct tax, if any is due, be paid. There is no doubt that Price Bailey has always been meticulous in making sure this work is done properly and in due time. However, it has also always been the practice of the firm to carry out the above in an open and friendly manner and to offer more than the mere adding up of sums. As Richard Price, son of one of the original partners and a very long-serving member of Price Bailey, will tell you in the book, the firm has always made sure that they were close to the clients and often mixed with them socially. As you will also see, Price Bailey, especially in the last twelve years under the leadership of Peter Gillman, has greatly increased the services it can offer. Most recently, it is now authorised to give legal advice.

Margaret Thatcher's political career was one of the most remarkable of modern times. She rose to become the first woman to lead a major Western democracy, serving as British Prime Minister. Admired by Ronald Regan and the United States Congress, "e;Introducing Thatcherism"e; looks at the political philosophy behind this influential and controversial woman.

As we find ourselves at the cusp of an economic downturn, there has been a clear reinvigoration of Keynesian economics as governments are attempting to stimulate the market through public funds. Forming his economic theories in the wake of the Great Depression, John Maynard Keynes argued that a healthy economy depended on the total spending of consumers, business investors and, most importantly, governments too. Keynes formulated that governments should take control of the economy in the short term, rather than relying on the market, because, as he eloquently put it 'in the long run, we are all dead'. This graphic guide is the ideal introduction to one of the most influential economists of the 20th century, at a time when his theories may be crucial to our economic survival. Through a deft mixture of words and images, "e;Introducing Keynes"e; is a timely, accessible and enjoyable read.

The Magic of a Name tells the story of the first 40 years of Britain's most prestigious manufacturer - Rolls-Royce. Beginning with the historic meeting in 1904 of Henry Royce and the Honourable C.S. Rolls, and the birth in 1906 of the legendary Silver Ghost, Peter Pugh tells a story of genius, skill, hard work and dedication which gave the world cars and aero engines unrivalled in their excellence. In 1915, 100 years ago, the pair produced their first aero engine, the Eagle which along with the Hawk, Falcon and Condor proved themselves in battle in the First World War. In the Second the totemic Merlin was installed in the Spitfire and built in a race against time in 1940 to help win the Battle of Britain. With unrivalled access to the company's archives, Peter Pugh's history is a unique portrait of both an iconic name and of British industry at its best.