Drayton and Mackenzie

by Alexander Starritt, Unknown Author

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.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Literary Fiction, British Literature, Scotland, Business, Novels

Paperback

First published July 3, 2025

About the author

Alexander 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.

Reviews

[Kate O'Shea · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[A2 · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Sandy ❦✶⁺⋆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book caught me so off-guard.

I did not expect to feel invested enough to start crying over my cereal first thing on Sunday as I finished this book!

This was a really evocative story following the unlikely friendship of two very different characters and their undulating influence on one another, against a backdrop of career difficulties and ambition (or sometimes lack thereof). It was very well-written, engaging and the many peaks and troughs felt representative of the meandering pathways our own lives take us - it wasn't an instant success story to show how the top 1% get to where they are, but rather showing how smart but ordinary people persevere and find solace in the relationships around them.

The book was a little long, and although it wasn't a problem for me I feel that some of its commercial value is undercut but a lot of time spent focused on tidal energy etc (which many, including myslef, may not fully understand or be invested in).

But wow the ending! It got so real so fast and even through its relatively short section in the book was immensly impactful.
Having experienced something similar at the same point in time, I found incredibly moving and representative of the circumstances at hand. My cereal was eaten with a mix of milk and teardrops this morning, I'll admit!

[Holly R W · Rating 4 out of 5]

Drayton and Mackenzie is about two men who first meet each other at Oxford while students. Their first names are James and Roland, respectively. The novel is a deep study of both their friendship and the marine energy business they begin together. The author's writing is superb.

They do not start out as friends. Circumstances throw them together. Their personalities are not at all alike. An appreciation of each other develops slowly.

James is brilliant and a visionary, but has no people skills. Roland is important to him, as Roland is his best and only friend. Roland is charming, bright, but unambitious and lazy. Underneath their exteriors, both are kind men.

This is historical fiction, concentrating upon the business world. The story covers such events as the mortgage crisis and resulting bank collapse in the U.S., the impact upon the financial and oil industries in the U.K., and Brexit. Towards the end of the book, the Covid pandemic is discussed.

How James and Roland forge their start-up into a multi-million dollar business is at the heart of the story. The firm's initial goal is to harness the ocean's tides into generating energy that can fuel rockets. The men start the business in their 20's with little more than bravado and bluster and one lone engineer who made a prototype for this.
************************************

My Reactions:

The book is a long one - 500 pages. I felt it could have been shorter. Some of the detail about business could have been omitted. I was bored at times, but it was so well-written that I overlooked this.

I was more invested in learning about the two men's friendship and their personalities. It is rare to find a book so beautifully written about male friendship. The author avoided cliches. James and Roland were living, breathing people to me.

Well-done, Mr. Starritt! I look forward to your next book.


4.5 stars

[Lucy · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Daniel KML · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Oliver · Rating 5 out of 5]

tomorrow x3 for people who love ed miliband. smart, funny, moving.

[Ruben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very nicely flowing, warm and easy to listen to novel about two Oford friends - one brilliant but awkward, the other mostly lazy but with good people skills - who start an energy company. It roughly covers the period from the 2008 financial crisis until the Covid pandemic.

While I enjoyed the story, I would have liked to see it go a bit deeper into the content, also because it is not often that novelists dare to take in the topic of financial markets/consultancy/venture capital. It unfortunately just skims the surface.

[Eve Slater · Rating 5 out of 5]

a meticulously researched novel full of satire (loved!)
one of the best books on male friendship I’ve ever read, top tier characterisation and very moving (more flight tears)
even the side characters, Cleo, the parents, and Alan etc feel very purposeful
loved the context within 21st century business and financial world evolution
clever, moving and addictive
will come back to it for a second reading at some point as there is still a lot to unpack
another Alice rec

[Min Master · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Marit Gillam · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Michael Lynes · Rating 5 out of 5]

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?

[Ben Donovan · Rating 5 out of 5]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 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

[William Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Luc · Rating 2 out of 5]

this should not have won prizes, I was baited by reviewers at the FT

[Simon Linacre · Rating 2 out of 5]

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.

[Eleanor Horn · Rating 2 out of 5]

This just didn't hit for me. The story is ostensibly about an intense and deeply life fulfilling friendship and business partnership between our two main characters (James Drayton and Roland Mackenzie) but I never felt close enough to either of them to feel their friendship as a real and breathing driver in the book.

There is plenty of recent economic history in the book: cut aways to Ben Bernanke at the Fed deciding whether to bail out the banks during the financial crisis of 2008, Mario Draghi defending the Euro after the Greek crisis of 2010 and the immediate aftermaths of Brexit and COVID.

I have a living memory of these economic events whilst studying for an economics degree. I work in the same industry that James & Roland launch their business into. I've drunk expensive beer with work colleagues in Central London. I've even listened to old Scottish male electrical engineers explain how generators work.

Whilst none of it felt unrealistic (and it easily could have!), it was all too recent and familiar to me to be a rewarding fictional read. I wanted a lot more interiority from the two protagonists and a lot more focus on their friendship and emotions and the leap of faith that starting a business is.

The themes I most enjoyed were:

1) the challenges of deciding what to do with your life when the options feel unlimited but you struggle to follow through. Roland's longing for travel and impermanence and his gap year in India were beautifully written.

2) the worry that James' parents feel for him and his relationship with them and his sister was gorgeously evoked and felt raw and tender and oh so real it was heartbreaking and uplifting to read.

I will absolutely read anything else Starritt writes but I hope he goes off into some exciting topic that is completely new to me next time.

[Evelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 ☺️

[Eva Femia · Rating 4 out of 5]

so conflicted on how to rate this …. it has five star qualities (the character development!! the slow burn friendship!!) and one star qualities (roland’s asian fetish, having peter thiel as a positively portrayed side character)

[Jayne Southern · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Josh S · Rating 3 out of 5]

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!

[Ben Swanson · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Elizabeth Mohr · Rating 5 out of 5]

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)

[bookreader · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Ray Kluender · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our material existence over the last two decades has been fundamentally shaped by the 2008 financial crisis and the low-interest-rate environment that followed for the next decade and a half. Pretty much every headline trending these days can be traced back to the scars of the recession and the cheap money available to finance profligate and/or world-changing innovation.

This is the first novel I've read that perfectly encapsulates the effect that that backdrop had on the strivers of my generation as they entered the labor market. It's also a beautiful story of friendship and ambition and finding your way in the world. Starritt so perfectly captures the human beats of graduating university, finding your footing in the working world, and setting on a new course to which -- at some point -- you're pot committed and there's no turning back.

I'm definitely a mark for this story. I interviewed with McKinsey once upon a time (I did not get the job), flirted with a career in consulting, and now I teach entrepreneurial finance, but that also makes me a harsh judge on nailing the details and Starritt didn't put a word wrong.

One of my favorite novels of the 21st century so far. I hope it finds its audience.

[Gwendolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Drayton & Mackenzie follows two Oxford graduates whose lives take very different paths after university. James Drayton is intensely ambitious and methodical, while Roland Mackenzie is charismatic, impulsive, and prone to drifting. When their paths reconnect years later, they embark on a business venture together, navigating the financial crisis, the challenges of entrepreneurship, and the changing economic landscape of the early twenty-first century while building an unlikely but enduring friendship. What I loved most about this novel was how deeply it immerses the reader in the working lives of its two protagonists. We get a fascinating look at what it is like to start out as a junior consultant at McKinsey and then what it takes to leave that world behind and build a company from scratch. Starritt clearly did his homework. The novel is packed with details about fundraising, supply chain problems, hiring decisions, operational setbacks, and all the countless obstacles that stand between a great idea and a successful business. At times, it almost reads like a nonfiction account of two visionary entrepreneurs rather than a novel, and I mean that as a compliment. I found those sections completely absorbing.

I also loved the central relationship between James and Roland. They are very different people, and yet their friendship feels genuine, complicated, and deeply affectionate. The novel succeeds not only as a story about ambition and business but also as a story about loyalty, partnership, and the people who shape our lives. Even when the characters frustrated each other, I found myself invested in their bond.

That said, this is a long book, and even for someone who was fully engaged by the business material, there were stretches where the level of detail tested my attention span. Readers who do not enjoy reading about work probably will not connect with this novel. So much of its appeal comes from the day-to-day realities of consulting, entrepreneurship, and company building. If those subjects sound tedious to you, this may not be the book for you. For me, though, it was tremendously satisfying. I rarely find a novel that takes work so seriously and depicts it with such richness and specificity. The audiobook was fantastic and brought the story to life beautifully. If you are interested in business, startups, and the intersection of ambition and friendship, I highly recommend giving this one a try.

[Ian Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Fran Rougvie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the most unexpected best read of the year. Heard it was good but wasn’t sure it’d gel for me - I didn’t know anything about business or management consulting or tidal energy or venture capitalism but I didn’t need to really. Ultimately, it’s about male friendship. I was SOBBING at the end

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

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