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Drayton and Mackenzie
For the first time since university, James and Roland's paths through life – one drawn in straight lines, the other squiggled and meandering – began to cross…
James Drayton has always found things too easy. By the time he leaves university, he's still searching for a challenge worthy of his ambitions, one that will fulfil the destiny he thinks awaits him.
Roland Mackenzie, on the other hand, is an impulsive risk-taker, a charismatic drifter with boundless enthusiasm but a knack for derailing his own attempts to get started in life.
When a chance encounter in a pub reunites these old acquaintances, it sets them on an unpredictable course through the upheavals of the 21st century, and triggers an unlikely alliance. Against the backdrop of the financial crash and its aftermath, they strive to create something that outlasts them, something that will matter.
Drayton and Mackenzie is a stunningly ambitious, immediately engaging and ultimately deeply moving novel both about trying to make your mark on the world, and about how a friendship might be the most important thing in life.
James Drayton has always found things too easy. By the time he leaves university, he's still searching for a challenge worthy of his ambitions, one that will fulfil the destiny he thinks awaits him.
Roland Mackenzie, on the other hand, is an impulsive risk-taker, a charismatic drifter with boundless enthusiasm but a knack for derailing his own attempts to get started in life.
When a chance encounter in a pub reunites these old acquaintances, it sets them on an unpredictable course through the upheavals of the 21st century, and triggers an unlikely alliance. Against the backdrop of the financial crash and its aftermath, they strive to create something that outlasts them, something that will matter.
Drayton and Mackenzie is a stunningly ambitious, immediately engaging and ultimately deeply moving novel both about trying to make your mark on the world, and about how a friendship might be the most important thing in life.
512 pages, Hardcover
First published July 3, 2025
About the author
Alexander Starritt
12 books60 followersAlexander Starritt is a Scottish-German novelist, journalist and entrepreneur. Starritt was educated at Somerville College, Oxford. He came to public attention in 2017 with the release of his novel The Beast.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 142 reviews
June 3, 2026
Drayton and Mackenzie tells the story of Roland Mackenzie and James Drayton, students who meet at university whilst in the same rowing team but who drift apart shortly after. As the years roll by Roland and James begin to collide with increasing frequency until they begin to collaborate on a shared job at the same firm. It's the beginning of a lifelong friendship.
There was something about these two that drew me in. It does evolve very slowly and took me a little time to truly fall for this unlikely pair but I devoured the novel and by the end, feeling utterly wrung out, I could barely put it down.
Alexander Starritt has given us two disparate but wonderful characters. The basis of their story is akin to that of Zuckerberg and Savarin as they began Facebook, but in the renewable energy/engineering sphere.
You don't need to know anything about scientific breakthroughs or anything engineering based. I don't and it all made sense to me. There's several cameo appearances by politicians and tech giants which gives the narrative a feeling of reality. The characters of Drayton and Mackenzie are different but they are both very likeable. By the end of the book I was heavily invested in their friendship.
An excellent novel. I loved it. If you like a buddy book with several twists and turns thrown in or you just enjoy a really well written novel about the state of the world in the past 20 years you'll love this.
Thankyou to Netgalley and Swift Press for the advance review copy. Most appreciated.
There was something about these two that drew me in. It does evolve very slowly and took me a little time to truly fall for this unlikely pair but I devoured the novel and by the end, feeling utterly wrung out, I could barely put it down.
Alexander Starritt has given us two disparate but wonderful characters. The basis of their story is akin to that of Zuckerberg and Savarin as they began Facebook, but in the renewable energy/engineering sphere.
You don't need to know anything about scientific breakthroughs or anything engineering based. I don't and it all made sense to me. There's several cameo appearances by politicians and tech giants which gives the narrative a feeling of reality. The characters of Drayton and Mackenzie are different but they are both very likeable. By the end of the book I was heavily invested in their friendship.
An excellent novel. I loved it. If you like a buddy book with several twists and turns thrown in or you just enjoy a really well written novel about the state of the world in the past 20 years you'll love this.
Thankyou to Netgalley and Swift Press for the advance review copy. Most appreciated.
June 21, 2026
Who this book is for:
(1) Every literary-minded finance bro, startup gal, and consultant out there. Fiction readers in positions of prestige, that means you. Bonus points if you are ex- one of these things, or if your ex does one of these things. But that's not all, can't possibly be all for a novel that touches on so many vocations and avocations at once. If you've ever felt stuck in a rat race, ever dared to dream big, ever wondered what really matters, ever lost your way when life was going your way: Drayton & Mackenzie is for you.
(1a) On finance: Starritt devotes two chapters to dramatically recounting the bailouts of Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers during the 2008 financial crisis. We eavesdrop on an emergency as Ben Bernanke meets with Hank Paulson, Jamie Dimon, and the other bank heads behind closed doors. The book digresses again in 2012 to follow Mario Draghi, head of the ECB, as he delivers a speech with the fate of the Eurozone on the line. Other shoutouts: James Drayton is obsessed with Brent crude. The novel’s primary love interest passively manages index funds for BlackRock.
(1b) On startups: I’ve far from mentioned the entire cast of real-life people who populate this tale. Safe to say Drayton & Mackenzie should share a shelf with Zero to One, in addition to Walter Isaacson’s stupendous biography of a South African-born entrepreneur. In less sexy news, Starritt does a beautiful job capturing the mindset and frustration of a founder who knows their vision will take decades to realize. He captures the spirit of starting lean, of moving fast and breaking things, of finding your niche.
(1c) On consulting: the protagonists start their careers at McKinsey. You’ll experience the grueling nights of data crunching in hotel rooms, and then the restructuring, the people stuff, that shreds their nerves and teaches them how to lead.
(2) Americans. Although 2026 marks the semiquincentennial of our seceding from Great Britain, I reckon we still quite fancy our neighbours across the pond. I was so keen to acquire this book after reading about it in the FT that I ran offside and ordered it from the UK. What a scoop!
(2a) Speaking of Britishness: Drayton & Mackenzie begins in the hallowed halls of Oxford in the early 2000s. James Drayton is the star student with a bottom-of-the-barrel social life, first in his year in PPE but without a true friend to his name. Roland Mackenzie studies physics and philosophy and can’t resist a sidequest: he’s already flown to Japan, met a gang boss, and slept with a Kiwi before the end of chapter one. Yet he fails his final exam with a 2:2, a specter that hangs over him for the rest of his life.
(2b) Weather as character: James and Roland touch the wings of glory and depths of despair in cold, harsh places. Look toward Aberdeen, the oil capital on the eastern coast of Scotland, look toward Stromness and Kirkwall in the Orkney islands (inhabitants: Orcadians) at the far northern tip of the United Kingdom. I was chuffed to read a British novel that isn’t just about England.
(3) Guys with close guy friends. I don’t mean friends who arose out of convenience, nor do I mean the friend group that spawned a fantasy football league and a history of shenanigans. I mean thoughtful relationships built through years of shared experiences and mutual support. Watching James and Roland go from classmates to coworkers to cofounders to, ultimately, the most important people in each other’s lives might make you reconsider the life-changing potential of your male friendships.
(4) Fans of ambition, and of excess. No one is ever going to write a 500-page novel that avoids criticism of it being too long. Likewise, no one is ever going to write a great novel without being ambitious. Drayton & Mackenzie hurtles across decades, past and future; it’s a bildungsroman overflowing with Bildung. Starritt’s fully omniscient narration may be jarring at first, but haven’t you always wanted to hear what characters really thought of each other? By the time you turn that last page, you’ll have grown fond of James and Roland’s crew: Cleo, Alice, Alan, Mary-Rose, Eleni, their parents even. Poetic that the world is their oyster and yet their world—the loved ones they keep close—fits in an oyster.
If you suspect I've been describing myself (rather than the ideal reader) this whole time, you're right—and you've completely missed the point. In countless ways, Drayton & Mackenzie was written for someone like me to discover: I’ve never wished to write and live a book as much as I wish I'd written and lived this one. Such product-market fit doesn't come around often. My review may soon be over, but these Oxford lads will forever have a place in my heart, whether or not their story gets the international recognition (and film adaptation, methinks) it so thoroughly deserves. I hope I've at least convinced you to invest.
(1) Every literary-minded finance bro, startup gal, and consultant out there. Fiction readers in positions of prestige, that means you. Bonus points if you are ex- one of these things, or if your ex does one of these things. But that's not all, can't possibly be all for a novel that touches on so many vocations and avocations at once. If you've ever felt stuck in a rat race, ever dared to dream big, ever wondered what really matters, ever lost your way when life was going your way: Drayton & Mackenzie is for you.
(1a) On finance: Starritt devotes two chapters to dramatically recounting the bailouts of Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers during the 2008 financial crisis. We eavesdrop on an emergency as Ben Bernanke meets with Hank Paulson, Jamie Dimon, and the other bank heads behind closed doors. The book digresses again in 2012 to follow Mario Draghi, head of the ECB, as he delivers a speech with the fate of the Eurozone on the line. Other shoutouts: James Drayton is obsessed with Brent crude. The novel’s primary love interest passively manages index funds for BlackRock.
(1b) On startups: I’ve far from mentioned the entire cast of real-life people who populate this tale. Safe to say Drayton & Mackenzie should share a shelf with Zero to One, in addition to Walter Isaacson’s stupendous biography of a South African-born entrepreneur. In less sexy news, Starritt does a beautiful job capturing the mindset and frustration of a founder who knows their vision will take decades to realize. He captures the spirit of starting lean, of moving fast and breaking things, of finding your niche.
(1c) On consulting: the protagonists start their careers at McKinsey. You’ll experience the grueling nights of data crunching in hotel rooms, and then the restructuring, the people stuff, that shreds their nerves and teaches them how to lead.
(2) Americans. Although 2026 marks the semiquincentennial of our seceding from Great Britain, I reckon we still quite fancy our neighbours across the pond. I was so keen to acquire this book after reading about it in the FT that I ran offside and ordered it from the UK. What a scoop!
(2a) Speaking of Britishness: Drayton & Mackenzie begins in the hallowed halls of Oxford in the early 2000s. James Drayton is the star student with a bottom-of-the-barrel social life, first in his year in PPE but without a true friend to his name. Roland Mackenzie studies physics and philosophy and can’t resist a sidequest: he’s already flown to Japan, met a gang boss, and slept with a Kiwi before the end of chapter one. Yet he fails his final exam with a 2:2, a specter that hangs over him for the rest of his life.
(2b) Weather as character: James and Roland touch the wings of glory and depths of despair in cold, harsh places. Look toward Aberdeen, the oil capital on the eastern coast of Scotland, look toward Stromness and Kirkwall in the Orkney islands (inhabitants: Orcadians) at the far northern tip of the United Kingdom. I was chuffed to read a British novel that isn’t just about England.
(3) Guys with close guy friends. I don’t mean friends who arose out of convenience, nor do I mean the friend group that spawned a fantasy football league and a history of shenanigans. I mean thoughtful relationships built through years of shared experiences and mutual support. Watching James and Roland go from classmates to coworkers to cofounders to, ultimately, the most important people in each other’s lives might make you reconsider the life-changing potential of your male friendships.
(4) Fans of ambition, and of excess. No one is ever going to write a 500-page novel that avoids criticism of it being too long. Likewise, no one is ever going to write a great novel without being ambitious. Drayton & Mackenzie hurtles across decades, past and future; it’s a bildungsroman overflowing with Bildung. Starritt’s fully omniscient narration may be jarring at first, but haven’t you always wanted to hear what characters really thought of each other? By the time you turn that last page, you’ll have grown fond of James and Roland’s crew: Cleo, Alice, Alan, Mary-Rose, Eleni, their parents even. Poetic that the world is their oyster and yet their world—the loved ones they keep close—fits in an oyster.
If you suspect I've been describing myself (rather than the ideal reader) this whole time, you're right—and you've completely missed the point. In countless ways, Drayton & Mackenzie was written for someone like me to discover: I’ve never wished to write and live a book as much as I wish I'd written and lived this one. Such product-market fit doesn't come around often. My review may soon be over, but these Oxford lads will forever have a place in my heart, whether or not their story gets the international recognition (and film adaptation, methinks) it so thoroughly deserves. I hope I've at least convinced you to invest.
July 28, 2025
I'll be honest — I struggled with this book at times. For me, it isn’t fast-paced; it’s more of a slow burn. There’s a lot of character development and detailed discussion of the business world, including the financial crisis. It’s a subtle and restrained novel, and many readers will appreciate that. The friendship between the two main characters is central to the story, as is the search for authenticity in relationships, in work, and in the pursuit of meaning in life. I received an advanced review copy from NetGalley and this is my honest review.
December 13, 2025
This book was certainly long and probably longer than it needed to be, but I thought it was a really well done evocation of male friendship, as well as as of the business climate of the last 20 years.
October 5, 2025
First time in 15 years that a novel makes it to the FT best business book of the year longlist.
Unfortunately it is a cringey best-sellerish novel. If you haven’t had experience working at mckinsey or struggling through funding rounds with startup founders (both instances happen to fit my case), I would advise to skip it.
Unfortunately it is a cringey best-sellerish novel. If you haven’t had experience working at mckinsey or struggling through funding rounds with startup founders (both instances happen to fit my case), I would advise to skip it.
January 23, 2026
tomorrow x3 for people who love ed miliband. smart, funny, moving.
June 4, 2026
This is for readers who grew up in London, went to private school, went to uni, attempted corporate and hated it.
A sweet slow-burn. Not life-changing but something about the writing style had me. I’d love to have at least 1% of James’ ambition.
A sweet slow-burn. Not life-changing but something about the writing style had me. I’d love to have at least 1% of James’ ambition.
September 29, 2025
Such a sweet book. Follows two Oxford grads through McKinsey and a startup whilst navigating major global events such as the GFC and brexit. Was moved by the characters and their friendship/business partnership with each other.
June 17, 2026
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A review described this as “something more than a corporate Sally Rooney novel for boys”, a statement that I disagree with in 10,000 ways but which also helps to frame the book. A platonic love story between two friends, this remained me more of Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow than anything else. Some points could come off for what felt like a weaker first 1/5 of the book or for some random financial crisis interludes, but I don’t really think I would change anything about this book. I real surprise for me, I loved this deeply
October 12, 2025
Superb prose, ambitious in scope, prescient and moving. What else do you want in a novel, and why didn’t it make the Booker list?
March 15, 2026
I came by this book in an unusual way for me—one of my good buddies and reading pals asked if I’d read it because it was on a Financial Times reading recommendation list, and it struck him because it was a work of fiction. Not exactly typical. It intrigued me enough to try and get a copy, and while it took two sessions / borrowings to get through it, I found it pretty fascinating.
The story follows two men who, after casual acquaintanceship at Oxford, end up business partners in renewable energy against the backdrop of the 2008 financial recession and into the COVID pandemic. One is a relentless striver, socially inept enough to need a handler; the other a feckless dreamer who barely scrapes through university but with charm and people skills to spare. This unlikely duo end up forced together at first in the professional sphere but develop a partnership, and later a true, lasting friendship, that transcends the humor of their Odd Couple energy.
There is a lot of engineering and finance talk, which is presented in a very accessible way, and having real life events that parallel my own adult experiences brought this to life in many ways. This is almost non-fiction fiction, in some aspects; this reads beautifully but almost like a journal that someone has rendered into narrative prose. It is spare but evocative and feels authentic.
As is not surprising to people who know me, the emotional payoff is what I’m looking for in a book. The Roland and James relationship is one of my recent favorites in fiction. They are endearing and frustrating by turns, just like real people. I was truly moved and devastated by the ending (reader beware).
My reason for not giving this five stars is largely that the plot is actually quite boring. It’s the characters that make this shine as much as it does. Maybe others who appreciate the venture capital cycle more than I do will find their exploits inherently interesting, but the bulk of the narrative is James stressing about finding funding for his tidal energy project and Roland cleaning up his social messes as he bulls his way through the proverbial china shop. Given a little more depth of plot, this could be a truly great book in my estimation.
The story follows two men who, after casual acquaintanceship at Oxford, end up business partners in renewable energy against the backdrop of the 2008 financial recession and into the COVID pandemic. One is a relentless striver, socially inept enough to need a handler; the other a feckless dreamer who barely scrapes through university but with charm and people skills to spare. This unlikely duo end up forced together at first in the professional sphere but develop a partnership, and later a true, lasting friendship, that transcends the humor of their Odd Couple energy.
There is a lot of engineering and finance talk, which is presented in a very accessible way, and having real life events that parallel my own adult experiences brought this to life in many ways. This is almost non-fiction fiction, in some aspects; this reads beautifully but almost like a journal that someone has rendered into narrative prose. It is spare but evocative and feels authentic.
As is not surprising to people who know me, the emotional payoff is what I’m looking for in a book. The Roland and James relationship is one of my recent favorites in fiction. They are endearing and frustrating by turns, just like real people. I was truly moved and devastated by the ending (reader beware).
My reason for not giving this five stars is largely that the plot is actually quite boring. It’s the characters that make this shine as much as it does. Maybe others who appreciate the venture capital cycle more than I do will find their exploits inherently interesting, but the bulk of the narrative is James stressing about finding funding for his tidal energy project and Roland cleaning up his social messes as he bulls his way through the proverbial china shop. Given a little more depth of plot, this could be a truly great book in my estimation.
December 9, 2025
this should not have won prizes, I was baited by reviewers at the FT
June 30, 2025
There was a point when I wondered where this tale of an unusual friendship between two unlikely characters was going. I found the opening chapters rather slow and lacking in direction. About a third of the way in, I was fully engaged and thoroughly committed to sharing this friendship, the families, friends and colleagues. The dialogue is vital and inviting, filled with banter and deeper observations as the friends meet challenges to their business partnership. I so enjoyed the insight into the banking crisis, how venture capital works (the old boys' network?)– and how the taps are turned on and off! – and the creation of a legacy industry interwoven with this multilayered story of the gift of genuine friendship.
August 23, 2025
I liked the two main characters. The book was kind of strange - it was a straightforward friendship story but centered around a business. It was a good idea but the business itself was kind of boring. And it was long. I think 600 pages should have either super compelling characters (like skippy dies) or a more epic backdrop (like war and peace). But it was interesting overall and often humorous. And actually pretty accurate on the business side. Three and half stars haha!
January 30, 2026
I slowly fell in love with this book. It is slow, to begin with, and I suppose it never really gets fast, but what it does so well is evolve a beautiful friendship between two highly unlikely men that I saw both sides of so clearly. The business stuff really interested me but I wouldn’t say you need to be in to that to get into their dynamic. I haven’t cried at the end of many books, but I did this one.
February 8, 2026
So much in this book- friendship, relationships, character growth, economics, business and workplace culture. I nearly took a star off because it really was very long and there definitely places where a bit of editing would have been good. But then I finished it and was so moved that I could only give it five stars. Highly recommend but be prepared to give it quite a lot of time! (I listened on audible and it was an excellent narrator)
January 27, 2026
Erudite and at times even lyrical, this is a highly readable novel with some accurate (if sanitized) descriptions of startup life. It tackles the “last taboo” of business, which I don’t really agree is “the biggest thing no one talks about.” Musk & Thiel have cameo roles here, and people talk way too much about them.
June 28, 2026
Where to start? This is the tale of two very different characters - James and Roland. James is highly driven and intelligent but has poor social skills and Roland is a dreamer but very much a people person. Their paths cross at Oxford and then again in the corporate world where they decide to start their own company. Beautifully written with fabulous characters and a plot that explores how very different people can work together and compliment each other. Once I got to the final third of the book I literally could not stop reading. I have rarely been so invested in characters and so moved by their stories. Excellent read ☺️
June 20, 2026
3.5 stars I guess.
Weirdly engaging and inspiring but some prose-level weirdness that was hard to ignore. Also couldn't relate to a lot of the petit-bourg taken-for-granteds like when Roland's parents give him money to go to japan or "a few hundred grand" to buy a house. If you're not from these social strata, the story being told may be less inspiring to you.
Regardless, props to Staritt for writing such a weird book. I liked it.
Weirdly engaging and inspiring but some prose-level weirdness that was hard to ignore. Also couldn't relate to a lot of the petit-bourg taken-for-granteds like when Roland's parents give him money to go to japan or "a few hundred grand" to buy a house. If you're not from these social strata, the story being told may be less inspiring to you.
Regardless, props to Staritt for writing such a weird book. I liked it.
January 5, 2026
A few tears were shed at the end. What more can the reader want!! A beautiful account of a friendship and about life’s tribulations and the power of chance and fate. Loved it
May 17, 2026
This is a great book
June 12, 2026
Props to the review by “A2” as I think they nailed the target audience. I enjoyed the story, but was tired of the start up adventure about halfway through that journey. I continued to around 70% and decided I just couldn’t give any more shit about their project. So I marked it as a DNF.
Then I woke up this morning and decided I had to at least see what happens between the two main characters, as their friendship is what makes the book.
😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😢😢😥😥😪😫😩🥹🥹😴💤
Fast forward 30 minutes and ⬆️⬆️ that was me. I was ugly crying and god damn it felt good.
So for those not in A2s well defined audience I think I’ve created the template for how to read this book. Read at least 60-70% of the book, skip to and read the epilogue, identify epilogue revelations that interest you, track them down in the skipped pages, and cry yourself to sleep from satisfaction and/or devastation.
Damn, maybe I should work for one of the Big 4 cuz that’s a 🔥 solution to the books problems.
Then I woke up this morning and decided I had to at least see what happens between the two main characters, as their friendship is what makes the book.
😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😢😢😥😥😪😫😩🥹🥹😴💤
Fast forward 30 minutes and ⬆️⬆️ that was me. I was ugly crying and god damn it felt good.
So for those not in A2s well defined audience I think I’ve created the template for how to read this book. Read at least 60-70% of the book, skip to and read the epilogue, identify epilogue revelations that interest you, track them down in the skipped pages, and cry yourself to sleep from satisfaction and/or devastation.
Damn, maybe I should work for one of the Big 4 cuz that’s a 🔥 solution to the books problems.
June 19, 2026
I really enjoyed this bildungsroman set either side of the 2008 financial crisis. Probably because I was exactly the target audience for a book about an Oxford savant turned McKinsey EM turned startup founder, with familiar world events showing up and often driving the plot. But I found it very touching in an understated way. Recommend if those first two sentences don't immediately turn you off!
December 31, 2025
This is a great novel. The characters are inspiring and complex. The prose remains gripping throughout the long book: clear-eyed, emotional, and at times funny. The setting is relatable: the universe the characters inhabit, world events, and their questions about meaning. One of the best books I read in 2025.
December 9, 2025
Wonderful book, talks about the friendship and relationship between James and Rolland. Chances bring them together and change their lives. The character development of both the characters is seen throughout the book. This book capitalizes on invention and friendship
May 25, 2026
Superbly written, sucking you into the intertwined lives of these two men. Funny, touching, real. Best book I’ve read for ages.
December 25, 2025
Another book where I go, ‘What on earth is all the fuss about?!’ It’s reasonably interesting but way too long, has cardboard characters and a ridiculous plot.
October 12, 2025
I was going to give this 5* until I reminded myself of the things I didn’t like about it - and they were some pretty big things! I still kinda loved it though.
The eponymous (James) Drayton and (Roland) Mackenzie first meet at Oxbridge, then again as junior grunts at McKinsey and later found a startup together. James initially comes across as a careerist robot, probably somewhere on the autism spectrum, sacrificing everything at the altar of success. Roland is his complete opposite, one of these people who just kinda coast through life with no plan and completely at the mercy of their personal charisma. Somewhere along the way they become each other’s best and probably only friends, even though Roland lets himself be dragged along in the wake of James’s ambition and later thanks him by
I started my career at a place very similar to McKinsey - different industry, same vibe - so I would’ve loved it anyway simply because it’s pretty rare to find fiction set in this sort of scene. It’s kinda hard to write about: yes, those are the “masters of the universe”, but the day-to-day job is just emails, spreadsheets and presentations like any other white collar job.
The book manages to not get bogged down in the details of the drudgery, not when they’re at McKinsey and not when they’re navigating the startup world either.
It’s so well written, the characters felt so real - I almost felt like they were people I’d known from after work drinks. When I got annoyed with them, it wasn’t because of bad writing but because I wanted to grab them and shake some sense into them as if they were real people who keep making dodgy choices.
I do have to mention the drawbacks though.
1. It’s much too long - novels like this should never be longer than 350ish pages and it ended up feeling too self-indulgent.
2. I didn’t buy the ending.
3. The random chapters from the POV of real people and just in general the appearance of famous businesspeople and so on (Elon Musk??) - cringe. So cringe. None of that should’ve been included. We get it Starritt, you’ve seen/ read Too Big to Fail: The Inside Story of How Wall Street and Washington Fought to Save the Financial System from Crisis — and Themselves, there was no need to pretend you came up with that yourself. Same with copying the Lehman Bros scene from The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine 1:1. How did this get past the editors? It made the book seem like Too Big to Fail/ Big Short/ general business nerd fan fiction, very weird. And completely unnecessary, because we didn’t need all those asides for the great friendship story we already had!
So yeah, there goes the fifth star. Still one of the better books I’ve read this year. Great writing talent. Cut down on the compulsive shoehorning in of real people and it would’ve landed in my best of 2025 list. Alas…
The eponymous (James) Drayton and (Roland) Mackenzie first meet at Oxbridge, then again as junior grunts at McKinsey and later found a startup together. James initially comes across as a careerist robot, probably somewhere on the autism spectrum, sacrificing everything at the altar of success. Roland is his complete opposite, one of these people who just kinda coast through life with no plan and completely at the mercy of their personal charisma. Somewhere along the way they become each other’s best and probably only friends, even though Roland lets himself be dragged along in the wake of James’s ambition and later thanks him by
I started my career at a place very similar to McKinsey - different industry, same vibe - so I would’ve loved it anyway simply because it’s pretty rare to find fiction set in this sort of scene. It’s kinda hard to write about: yes, those are the “masters of the universe”, but the day-to-day job is just emails, spreadsheets and presentations like any other white collar job.
The book manages to not get bogged down in the details of the drudgery, not when they’re at McKinsey and not when they’re navigating the startup world either.
It’s so well written, the characters felt so real - I almost felt like they were people I’d known from after work drinks. When I got annoyed with them, it wasn’t because of bad writing but because I wanted to grab them and shake some sense into them as if they were real people who keep making dodgy choices.
I do have to mention the drawbacks though.
1. It’s much too long - novels like this should never be longer than 350ish pages and it ended up feeling too self-indulgent.
2. I didn’t buy the ending.
3. The random chapters from the POV of real people and just in general the appearance of famous businesspeople and so on (Elon Musk??) - cringe. So cringe. None of that should’ve been included. We get it Starritt, you’ve seen/ read Too Big to Fail: The Inside Story of How Wall Street and Washington Fought to Save the Financial System from Crisis — and Themselves, there was no need to pretend you came up with that yourself. Same with copying the Lehman Bros scene from The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine 1:1. How did this get past the editors? It made the book seem like Too Big to Fail/ Big Short/ general business nerd fan fiction, very weird. And completely unnecessary, because we didn’t need all those asides for the great friendship story we already had!
So yeah, there goes the fifth star. Still one of the better books I’ve read this year. Great writing talent. Cut down on the compulsive shoehorning in of real people and it would’ve landed in my best of 2025 list. Alas…
April 30, 2026
In safe hands from start to finish, even when the energy sags a bit. (And I say that as someone who rarely reads anything without thinking it could be improved by cutting 100 pages)
January 25, 2026
My favorite new fiction of the year. Insightful and astute about some things that don't often get a look in from top fiction - the pressure and identity around being an intense achiever; the feeling of doing a job amidst a lot of resentment that you're there; the way long male friendships can feel like sibling relationships where you can have deep differences with a person, but also feel bound to them for life. (Not to mention, the specifics of what it felt like to work for a specific consultancy on Jermyn Street in London in the mid-2000s.)
I happened to read this book just after reading War and Peace, and for me it felt like there were plenty of parallels - you see in both D&M and W&P the interplay of fully-realized individuals working at ground level and the historical forces that they contend with and try to harness (for which tidal energy seems a pretty decent metaphor). And the idea that some personalities are better suited for peacetime and some for wartime - and even the way our fictional lead characters cross paths with real people/historical figures over the course of the book, or contend with their actions. I'm probably overegging the parallels (I haven't seen the author mention any such intent) but it was an engaging comparison to keep in mind and added to my enjoyment.
It was a big-ish book in the UK in summer 2025 (well-reviewed and the first fiction book in many years to make it on the FT Business Book of the year long list). When it's published in the US in June 2026 I hope it gets another round of well-deserved interest and appreciation.
I happened to read this book just after reading War and Peace, and for me it felt like there were plenty of parallels - you see in both D&M and W&P the interplay of fully-realized individuals working at ground level and the historical forces that they contend with and try to harness (for which tidal energy seems a pretty decent metaphor). And the idea that some personalities are better suited for peacetime and some for wartime - and even the way our fictional lead characters cross paths with real people/historical figures over the course of the book, or contend with their actions. I'm probably overegging the parallels (I haven't seen the author mention any such intent) but it was an engaging comparison to keep in mind and added to my enjoyment.
It was a big-ish book in the UK in summer 2025 (well-reviewed and the first fiction book in many years to make it on the FT Business Book of the year long list). When it's published in the US in June 2026 I hope it gets another round of well-deserved interest and appreciation.
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