The Billionaire Raj

`James Crabtree, once a hugely-admired star foreign correspondent, has transformed himself into a brilliant writer and analyst of the Indian super rich. This timely, fascinating and eye-opening book is also - a rarity for a book about money - wonderfully witty and beautifully written.' -- William Dalrymple `Crabtree's stylish writing and sharp insights bring to life the extremes of a country changing with bewildering rapidity, and one the world will find increasingly hard to ignore. The Billionaire Raj is an essential guide if you want to understand modern India, as you must.' -- Edward Luce, Chief US Commentator, <i>Financial Times</i>, and author of <i>In Spite of the Gods: The Rise of Modern India</i> `A lucid, detailed and at times epic account of the new India... A must-read for all those interested in the political and economic destiny of the subcontinent.' -- Robert D. Kaplan, author of <i>Monsoon</i> and <i>The Return of Marco Polo's World</i> `A fascinating look into the world of the Indian business elite...shedding considerable light on whether the country will sustain the miracle that is the Indian democracy or go the way of populism and authoritarianism as so many others have.' -- Dani Rodrik, Professor of International Political Economy, Harvard University, and author of <i>The Globalization Paradox</i> `James Crabtree distinguished himself as the most insightful journalist writing for the Financial Times from India. It is not surprising therefore that he has now written a book that offers a splendid overview of the issues that have been raised concerning India's spectacular growth since the reforms began in 1991. It is bound to become a classic.' -- Jagdish Bhagwati, author of <i>In Defense of Globalization</i> `In this eye-opening rumination on wealth, power, and those who seek both...Crabtree brings a reporter's precision and flair to his story... An inside look into the corridors of power, this is an invaluable commentary on Indian democracy and the forces that threaten it.' * <i>Publishers Weekly</i>, starred review * `A wonderful book! It artfully weaves together lively stories of India's billionaires while retaining a balanced perspective on the the big picture of the rise of India. It is not easy to write contemporary history but Crabtree manages to get to the heart of the matter - the problem of India's state capacity and the need to reform the institutions of governance.' -- Gurcharan Das, author of <i>India Unbound</i> and <i>The Difficulty of Being Good</i> `Who are the Indian nouveau riche and what do they want? James Crabtree's The Billionaire Raj will prove the defining work on these questions. It is a must-read for anyone interested in wealth, inequality, India, or the evolution of capitalism.' -- Tyler Cowen, economist, blogger and author of <i>The Great Stagnation</i>