I could not have written this book without the help of the following people. My wife Angharad Penrhyn Jones, my researcher Dr Matthew Prescott, my assistant Sandy Kennedy, my agents Antony Harwood and James Macdonald Lockhart, and my editor Helen Conford. I’ve also relied heavily on the following experts, who have been very generous with their time, in this order: Dave Andrews, Graham Sinden, Robert Gross, Simon Bowens, George Marshall, Mark Lynas, Andrew Warren, Oliver Tickell, Richard Starkey, Stephen Joseph, Paul Allen, Roger Kemp, Brenda Boardman, Becca Lush, Byron Wine, Neil Crumpton, Norbert Hirschhorn, Kevin Anderson, Norman Myers, Stuart Croft, Sammy Daniel, Sarah Keay-Bright, Alice Bows, Jonathan Gibbins, Rajat Gupta, David Hirst, Walt Patterson, Meyer Hillman, Andrew Simms, Thomas Aldrian, Mark Barrett, Robert Webb, Dieter Helm, Lex Waspe, Jim Skea, John Loughhead, Les Harding, Mark Partington and Ian Gazley. Many thanks indeed to all of you.