We are entering an age of energy crises and food shortages This book reveals why Meet the swashbuckling traders who supply the world with energy food and metal Their goal: To make billions by buying and selling raw materials flogging Russian gas to Europe Saudi oil to America and Congolese metals to Silicon Valley Their methods: Whatever it takes whether funnelling cash to Vladimir Putin s sanction stricken Kremlin schmoozing Russian metal oligarchs after the collapse of the Soviet Union or striking deals with the Libyan rebels at the height of the Arab Spring These are the commodity traders You ve probably never heard of them But like it or not you re one of their customers Financial Times and Economist Book of the Year Shortlisted for the Financial Times McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award Shows how much money and global influence is concentrated in the hands of a tiny group Remarkable As the authors roam from oilfield to wheatfield they reveal information so staggering you almost gasp Sunday Times A globe spanning corporate thriller full of intrigue and double dealing Changes how we see the world often in horrifying ways Spectator A rich archive of ripping yarns The high level narrative is gripping enough But it is the details of what these freewheeling companies actually got up to that give the book a thriller like quality Financial Times Some of the stories could be straight out of John le Carre The difference is they re true Andrew Neil
