The Economist reads

What to read about the British economy

Britain used to be the world’s richest country. These six books explain how it came to be, and why it is no longer

An artistic drawing of workers spinning cotton with self-acting mule machines.
Photograph: Getty Images

IN RECENT YEARS the British economy has tended to be in the news for the wrong reasons. Growth has been soggy, inflation has been high and living standards have been squeezed. Over the past 15 years productivity growth has stalled and income per person has declined relative to that in many other developed countries. Brexit is one reason. Another is poor policy choices that the government made in response to the financial crisis of 2008-09. The Labour government, elected in July 2024, has made reviving economic growth its top priority.

Explore more

From the September 7th 2024 edition

Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents

Explore the edition

Discover more

A man holds an Icom walkie talkie device after he removed the battery during the funeral of persons killed when hundreds of paging devices exploded in a deadly wave across Lebanon the previous day, in Beirut's southern suburbs.

Books that probe the secrets of the Mossad 

Seven books on Israeli intelligence agencies, which are spearheading the offensive against Hizbullah in Lebanon

A cable car with the Lebanese flag on the side is seen going up and down on the line connecting seaside road to the hill top in Jounieh, Lebanon.

An introduction to Lebanon, perhaps the next front in a wider war

Four books and a film on a pivotal Middle Eastern country


Young Lebanese women take a 'selfie' picture in front of a newly painted portrait of the late Egyptian writer and feminist Nawal el-Saadawi on a wall in the capital Beirut's downtown district.

What to read about modern feminism

An introduction to a large, evolving and controversial subject


How Christianity shapes politics in America

Four books and a podcast explain a complicated relationship

Six novels about India, perhaps the world’s most interesting place

Works of fiction about a country whose global clout, already large, is growing

Six novels you can read in a day

Reluctant to start on a big masterpiece? Try these small gems instead