Square Mile Tales by Tony Drury

 

                                       

Paperback:   210 pages

Genre: Autobiographical, Politics, Finance, Banking

Publisher: City Fiction 2023

Source:  The Author

First Sentence: It may seem unlikely but I was appointed to my Square Mile banking position when having coffee with my boss in the middle of Whipsnade Zoo, a few miles off the M1motorway.

Review Quote: The following four-star review was posted on Amazon 8 June 2023.

Over the last few years I’ve read a fair number of Tony Drury’s books and they’re all a good yarn. He certainly knows how to tell a good story. The difference here with Square Mile Tales, is that it’s not fiction – something that’s often hard to believe. Tony seems to have met anyone who’s anyone in The City and has stories about them to tell too. I wouldn’t say Tony was the best writer in the world but he is a great storyteller. I enjoyed this latest foray into autobiographical writing and think you will too.

My Opinion: I have read and always enjoyed this authors fiction writing, also having met him a few years ago I was curious to read his autobiography. Knowing a little of his background I was expecting it to be fascinating and informative.

This personal account of the financial and political turbulence of the last forty plus years was intriguing even with my minimal understanding and interest in such matters. The stories about the many thought provoking characters he has met during the course of his career are told with wit and humour.

I now feel I understand a little more about the world of city banking and politics, plus I throughly enjoyed the personal glimpses into his family life. An engaging account written by an interesting man. Worth reading.

My Reviews  Megan's Game   The Deal   Cholesterol   Novella Nostalgia Series

Précis Courtesy of Goodreads: 

Prepare yourself for a helta-skelta ride around the City of London.

Experience what media tycoon and fraudster Robert Maxwell was really like, up close. Imagine having dinner with controversial Conservative Member of Parliament Nadine Dorries, become enraged by the secret filming of Diana, Princess of Wales, puzzle at the appearance of Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith at Woburn Abbey and wonder why Ghislaine Maxwell hoped to meet the author at a party.

‘Square Mile Tales’ is the autobiography of a man who spent over forty years in banking and corporate finance, was awarded the coveted Fellowship of the (Chartered) Institute of Bankers, who wrote the text book on Finance House, who co-founded ProShare Investment Clubs and brought share ownership into the lives of many and who explained it all in his best-selling book on the subject.

Tremble with fear as the author was arrested by Chinese guards at the Hong Kong/Shenzhen border, as he was rushed to hospital in Beijing into the care of Dr Wang and how he became chairman of a Japanese media company to conclude an eventful career.

But ‘Square Mile Tales’ is much, much more as the author recalls his fifty-four years of marriage and the economic, political and social background, to the events dominating his years in the City of London.

Author Profile:         

Courtesy of City Fiction
 

Tony is the author of five DCI Sarah Rudd City thrillers. In each, he draws upon his career as a London financier to expose the underworld of dark practices and shadowy characters. None, however, are able to withstand the bravery and incisive detection methods of one of the police force’s bravest officers. Her juggling of career demands, husband, children and her own demons, make riveting reading.

He has written two more novels, which trace the early career of probationary police constable Sarah Whitson. In ‘On Scene and Dealing’ she meets her future husband Nick. In ‘Journey to the Crown’ she has a devastating affair with Dr Martin Redding. The final chapter jumps ahead to sample her future life as a private detective.

Tony has created an innovative series as a novella writer. Reflecting iconic cinema classics, his first is ‘Lunch with Harry’, which is inspired by ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’. Others include ‘Twelve Troubled Jurors’ (echoing ‘12 Angry Men’), ‘Forever on Thursdays’ (capturing the drama of ‘Brief Encounter’) and ‘The Man Who Hated’ (based on the Michael Douglas film, ‘Falling Down’).

He has written short-stories wherein the net proceeds go to HEART UK – The Cholesterol Charity. He is an ambassador for the charity.

In May 2023 City Fiction published Tony’s autobiography telling of his forty years working in the City of London.

Aged seventy-six, Tony is a follower of the wisdom of Albert Einstein: “When a man stops learning, he starts dying.” He lives in Bedford with his wife Judy. They value every trip down the M1 to Watford to be with Grandson Henry..

Photographs and Biographical Information courtesy of the following sites:

 City Fiction Publishing - Website    Tony Drury on Twitter

Tony Drury - Amazon Author Page      Goodreads Profile