Failures of State: The Inside Story of Britain's Battle with Coronavirus
*THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER*

A GUARDIAN AND SUNDAY TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR

‘An astonishing book’ James O’Brien

‘A gripping, devastating read’ Sunday Times

The inside story of the UK’s response to the pandemic from the Insight investigations unit at The Sunday Times

Failures of State recounts the extraordinary political decisions taken at the heart of Boris Johnson’s government during the global pandemic.

Fully updated and corroborated by hundreds of sources, this is the insider’s account of how the government sleepwalked into disaster and tried to cover up its role in the tragedy. Thrillingly told, it exposes one of the most scandalous failures of political leadership in British history.

‘A damning indictment’ Alan Johnson, Observer

‘A devastating piece of journalism’ Andrew Marr

‘This is a scandal’ Piers Morgan

1138653840
Failures of State: The Inside Story of Britain's Battle with Coronavirus
*THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER*

A GUARDIAN AND SUNDAY TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR

‘An astonishing book’ James O’Brien

‘A gripping, devastating read’ Sunday Times

The inside story of the UK’s response to the pandemic from the Insight investigations unit at The Sunday Times

Failures of State recounts the extraordinary political decisions taken at the heart of Boris Johnson’s government during the global pandemic.

Fully updated and corroborated by hundreds of sources, this is the insider’s account of how the government sleepwalked into disaster and tried to cover up its role in the tragedy. Thrillingly told, it exposes one of the most scandalous failures of political leadership in British history.

‘A damning indictment’ Alan Johnson, Observer

‘A devastating piece of journalism’ Andrew Marr

‘This is a scandal’ Piers Morgan

18.99 In Stock
Failures of State: The Inside Story of Britain's Battle with Coronavirus

Failures of State: The Inside Story of Britain's Battle with Coronavirus

Failures of State: The Inside Story of Britain's Battle with Coronavirus

Failures of State: The Inside Story of Britain's Battle with Coronavirus

Paperback(Revised and updated edition)

$18.99 
  • SHIP THIS ITEM
    In stock. Ships in 3-7 days. Typically arrives in 3 weeks.
  • PICK UP IN STORE

    Your local store may have stock of this item.

Related collections and offers


Overview

*THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER*

A GUARDIAN AND SUNDAY TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR

‘An astonishing book’ James O’Brien

‘A gripping, devastating read’ Sunday Times

The inside story of the UK’s response to the pandemic from the Insight investigations unit at The Sunday Times

Failures of State recounts the extraordinary political decisions taken at the heart of Boris Johnson’s government during the global pandemic.

Fully updated and corroborated by hundreds of sources, this is the insider’s account of how the government sleepwalked into disaster and tried to cover up its role in the tragedy. Thrillingly told, it exposes one of the most scandalous failures of political leadership in British history.

‘A damning indictment’ Alan Johnson, Observer

‘A devastating piece of journalism’ Andrew Marr

‘This is a scandal’ Piers Morgan


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780008430559
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date: 06/14/2022
Edition description: Revised and updated edition
Pages: 512
Product dimensions: 5.08(w) x 7.80(h) x (d)

About the Author

Jonathan Calvert is the editor of The Sunday Times’ renowned Insight investigative team. His accolades include British Journalist of the Year and the Paul Foot Award as well as Scoop of the Year on four occasions.
George Arbuthnott joined The Sunday Times on the Marie Colvin Scholarship and is now deputy editor of the Insight team. He has won six British Journalism and UK Press Awards, including Investigation of the Year and Scoop of the Year, and has been shortlisted for an Amnesty International Award, the European Press Prize and the Orwell Prize.

Table of Contents

Prologue: You must stay at home 1

Part 1 Origins

24 April 2012 to 23 January 2020

1 The Best Clue to the Origins 15

2 Outbreak and Cover-Up 30

Part 2 Sleepwalk into Disaster

24 January 2020 to 23 March 2020

3 Wildfire 57

4 Sleepwalk 83

5 Holiday 110

6 Part-Time Prime Minister 139

7 The Action Plan 158

8 Herd Immunity 174

9 Dither 204

Part 3 The Reckoning

24 March 2020 to 26 April 2020

10 Disaster 237

11 Left to Die at Home 279

Part 4 The Same Mistake Twice

27 April 2020 to 2 December 2020

12 Worst of All Worlds 313

13 A Reckless Summer 349

14 The Circuit Breaker 375

Part 5 Plague Island

3 December 2020 to 1 January 2022

15 The Christmas Nightmare 409

16 The Retrospectoscope 434

References 475

Acknowledgements 483

Index 489

From the B&N Reads Blog

Customer Reviews