Moneyland

A compelling account of how corrupt officials and criminals move their money around to avoid detection, while managing to continue living their lavish lifestyles.

Bullough lays out a post-war history of complex systems in plain English and builds a sharp image of an ever-shifting landscape of criminal activity. It’s fascinating to read how quick and inventive people can be when trying to hide their wealth, and Moneyland is structured to follow the twists and turns of how people have evaded the authorities since the 1970s.

He also goes some way to explaining the true costs of such activity, and shows how it poses a grave threat to democracy. It’s a well researched and eye-opening book for any fans of global criminal underworlds (who isn’t?), or for those just curious as to why most of the highest value properties in London sit empty.