Meltdown

This isn’t just a richly detailed story about the hubris, corruption and incompetence that doomed Credit Suisse, it’s a stark warning to all of us about what happens when we let bankers do what they like – Oliver Bullough, bestselling author of Butler to the World A riveting autopsy of Credit Suisse’s dramatic downfall, Mavin’s Meltdown expertly dissects decades of scandal and hubris. This meticulously researched exposé reveals how one of banking’s titans gradually, then suddenly, crumbled under the weight of its own misdeeds – Bradley Hope, New York Times bestselling author of Billion Dollar Whale and Blood and OilWe’re used by now to bankers behaving badly, yet Duncan Mavin takes it to another, shocking, anger-inducing level. Credit Suisse stood for propriety, but starting with the Holocaust and ending with the vast bank’s sudden collapse, he shows this to be a total fabrication – Chris Blackhurst, bestselling author of Too Big to Jail and The World’s Biggest Cash Machine Meltdown offers a gripping and meticulously researched account of Credit Suisse’s downfall. Mavin uses vivid storytelling and deep insider knowledge to unravel the long history of scandal, hubris, and mismanagement that ultimately led to the bank’s collapse. This financial thriller of a book offers a tantalising glimpse into the rot at the heart of one of the world’s most powerful banks – Parmy Olson, bestselling author of We Are Anonymous and SupremacyThrough deep meticulous reporting and compelling storytelling, Mavin chronicles the gradual, quiet demise—and then shockingly sudden collapse—of what was once one of the world’s most trusted financial institutions. A gripping story of power, greed and panic, and a humbling reminder of the enormous cost of capitalism going awry – Josie Cox, author of Women, Money and Power Pulling no punches and naming names, Mavin lays out an almost comically scandalous story with dry humour, connecting the granular details of how it happened to the big picture - a decades-long saga of corporate folly. Swiss bank secrecy laws emerge as the villain, protecting over-rated, unaccountable executives from scrutiny of their actions until it was too late for anyone to save them from the consequences – Andy Verity, BBC Economics correspondent and author of RiggedDuncan Mavin’s engaging, authoritative indictment of Credit Suisse is a cavalcade of scandals, crises, and chronic management failures fueled by a pervasively rotten culture. Meltdown is a sensational page-turner, even if you sometimes feel like looking away in disgust from the illegality, amorality, depravity and greed that defined this pillar of global high finance for decades until its collapse. – Sean Silcoff, author of Losing the SignalA gripping account of how the Swiss bank collapsed under the weight of scandal after scandal – The TimesMeltdown is an eminently readable survey of Credit Suisse’s tawdry history, and many of the industry’s darker secrets – The TelegraphA powerful and well-researched exposé of a bank that deserved to die, Meltdown is an object lesson in how not to run a bank – Literary ReviewDuncan Mavin is well placed to tell this corporate horror story…Meltdown is a repeat demolition job, a pacy account of Credit Suisse’s rise and fall – Lionel Barber in The SpectatorMeltdown is an exhilarating read, with truths more compelling than most fiction. Read it, weep, and look out for the Hollywood blockbuster – Banking Risk & RegulationA whistle-stop tour of scandals… but at its heart is a financial lesson that we keep having to relearn: Banks don’t fail because they run out of money. They fail because they run out of trust – Liz Hoffman, reviewing for SemaforA whistle-stop tour of Credit Suisse’s litany of occasionally comical scandals…Meltdown is an excellent chronology – Financial NewsThe chequered 167-year history of Credit Suisse is deftly analysed… and told with commendable clarity – Spear’s MagazineUnputdownably delicious … the British version of Bad Blood … [but] better – The Sunday Times, on Pyramid of LiesQuite simply, one of the best books of investigative journalism I have ever read. Duncan Mavin is a natural story-teller and a brilliant sleuth – Matthew d’Ancona, bestselling author of Post-Truth, on Pyramid of LiesLeaves little doubt that much is indeed wrong in the excessively close relationship between some financiers and politicians … [who] stood to gain millions of pounds – Simon Clark, author of The Key Man, on Pyramid of LiesTerrific … shows the emptiness behind the bombast – Nick Cohen, The Observer, Book of the Week, on Pyramid of LiesA meticulously researched and enjoyably lively account – The Daily Telegraph, on Pyramid of LiesForensic and riveting – The New Statesman, on Pyramid of LiesMavin expertly demystifies the rise and fall of Greensill Capital and weaves an intriguing tale at the cross section of sleaze, power and greed at the heart of UK politics and global finance. A fascinating - and prescient - read – Karl Holbrook, Executive Editor, Daily Express, on Pyramid of LiesDuncan Mavin’s gripping account of the bank’s 2023 implosion exposes a crisis decades in the making … A pageturner – Financial Times

Duncan Mavin is the author of Pyramid of Lies: Lex Greensill and the Billion Dollar-Scandal and a journalist at The Washington Post, based in the UK. He was previously a reporter for The Wall Street Journal, working in Asia, the US and across Europe, and a chartered accountant in the City. His previous book, Pyramid of Lies, was a critically acclaimed bestseller. It was one of Waterstones’ political books of the year for 2022 and an Observer book of the week. It was excerpted in The Times, the Mail on Sunday and the Australian media. He has appeared on several radio and television shows, as well as at literary festivals, to discuss the book and the fallout of the Greensill scandal it describes. The book has been optioned for both documentary and dramatic rights.