Cityboy: Beer and Loathing in the Square Mile

by Geraint Anderson

Shipped from UK, please allow 10 to 21 business days for arrival. Good, A very good, clean and sound copy in red cloth boards, gilt title on spine with a good/very good dustjacket.

Genres: Nonfiction, Finance, Business, Biography, Economics, Autobiography, Memoir

304 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[Baba · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you step back and think about it, for the huge amount of money investment banking generates and the humongous hold it has over the global economy and our pension funds, there have been relatively small amounts of exposés on this gigantic part of capitalism. This has an authentic feel as it's written by a son of a working-class family, which typifies the new types of traders that crossed over to the City in the 90s and 00s. Unfortunately it's a bit too authentic, as the writing is poor, the humour trite, and a key issue for me, was the lack of detailed reveals of financial instruments. The only new thing I learned here was just how integrated the competitiveness within the City is, and how it directly relates to wealth generation. The book felt more like an apology than an exposé. The sad thing is that those in power know how damaging our financial markets are to society as a whole, but never, or rarely point the finger, preferring to distract by attacking minorities, the disadvantage, the other! A Three Star, 7 out of 12, as this is such a fascinating aspect of capitalism, where accept that people and organisations can generate vast personal wealth, whilst producing nothing!

2025 read

[BigTreesAndBigBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

City Boy is a book about a British man, being sucked into a world of easy money, sex and vulgur addictions. In other words about an average stockbrocker of the late 90s and early 00s. I got this book as a gift for my sister who started studyinc finance and economics in uni last year, and found myself drawn into that book. The writing is fast paced, and simple yet captivating, the one-liners are often hillarious, and the main character is both disgustingly hateful and weirdly likeable. You can't help but like the bad guy in the end eh? Apart from all that though, it offers an inside into the world of golden boys and pure capitalism who ruled and still do our lives and predicts the economical crisis and the extend of its catastrophical consequences years before it actually happened. I found this book both entetaining and educational and recommend to anyone who is interested in economics and current events or just a fun book with a clever edge.

[Elaine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wanker! Need I say more? Ok, tediously written, an amalgam of thoroughly superficial analysis, cheap and unheartfelt morality, and salacious anecdote. Of these, only the last is interesting - even while the scenes depicted (the investment bankers, including women, who all run into each other at 75 quid a head sex parties) are somewhat improbable. But the biggest problem is that Anderson, or his alter ego, Steve, is smashingly tiresome. He can't decide if he's holier than thou or more roguish than thou - he wants our respect for his moral bravery in telling the shocking, shocking truth that the City is a place where privileged white men make loads of cash, and also our respect for being the biggest baddest lad there is. Yawn. Read Liar's Poker instead. Seriously - don't give this guy another undeserved dine.

[Henri Hämäläinen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book really tries to shock you. It feasts with dirty details how money, sex and drugs play huge role in a world full of egoistic individuals of banking. Those seem to contain mainly quite young white men. It shouldn't be no surprise to anyone involved in team sports or being part of other manly activity groups that there are lot of men like this in world. These cityboys in London, just happen to get too much money and respect out of the work they do and that makes them act like this.

The book itself is a bit longish sometimes when Geraint tells lots and lots details about drinking and partying. Also it requires a bit of an interest towards stock markets and banking to really follow all the curiosities that are being told. Part I enjoyed the most was actually the epilogue, where author confesses that money and working like hell doesn't really matter that much and didn't really make him happy. Maybe it's just because I'm not in this banking world, and I'm just jealous. But I've really tried to think similarly for sometime already. I do enjoy working, but I still do it only for living and not the other way around.

Often there's one sentence that sticks in my mind after reading a book and the one in this book was: "Everybody just needs to make their own mistakes." That's so true. If you believe in some pattern of living bad enough, there's no one who can convince you to change the pattern. The only way is to really see the mistake yourself

[Julie Mestdagh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Much like Michael Lewis tried to do in his brilliant novel "Flash boys", so does Geraint Anderson try to explain the extravagant ways of the financial world in his book "City boys". Lewis versus Anderson: "Flash boys" versus "City boys".... "Wall street" versus "London Square Mile"… qualitative writing versus a poor wannabe version of the better thing. Anderson tries really hard to shock the reader with the harsh truth about the financial world, the hard competition, the dirty games, the corruption etc… And while all this is true, Lewis uses interesting financial information and explains certain concepts, while Andersons resorts to… sex, drinks and drugs. Booooooooooring!
If you really want an introduction to life behind the scenes at investment banks, I highly recommend Lewis' "Flash Boys". Read Andersons "City boys" if you fancy a relaxing read that doesn't require too much thinking.

[Harm · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's is a really enjoyable book to read, especially since the author did it's utmost best to think up the most creative metaphors that i have seen in a while, whilst making extensive use of his thesaurus. The stories are funny, reminding me of a mix between student-days excesses and a blown up version of banker life. The obvious issue here is that the story of an equity analyst is being used to generalised the whole city community, so read it with a pinch of salt, but nevertheless rethink the way you act in real life

[Rogier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh what fun! This is really a pretty hilarious account of the insanity of the feeding frenzy which is the financial industry, so-called.

If an African or Malaysian politician or whoever in the developing world demands cash upfront to allow you to do what you want to do, we call that graft. But in the "square mile" or on "Wall Street" the voodoo is in generating "fees" "commissions" or "bonuses" in the present from advice or "products" of dubious value. So the "rainmakers" are really better magicians than anybody else...

The writing is occasionally a bit overwrought, but a hilarious reflection of the insane culture of today's virtual trading pit, including the debauched T&E (or is that T&A?) culture in which it all takes place, and how it is an addiction to not only mind-altering substances, but to a completely insane distortion which drives our economy towards instability and self-destruction on many levels. In all it is a very honest account, the author doesn't spare himself at all. So he seems to be on a recovery journey from twelve years of insanity as a "Cityboy." The book is also the perfect follow-on to Michael Lewis's "Liar's Poker," for this recent round of hedge-fund driven financial insanity, which has been effective mostly in destroying our collective financial future, by fostering an entire industry that serves no other purpose but separating the productive part of the world from their money, not to mention enabling dodgy politicians to point to the stock market (only on the up days), as if it were an indicator of economic health, when it just goes from bubble to bubble.

[Eric · Rating 1 out of 5]

The book had potential. The life of a "cityboy" would be interesting and how they reconcile their selfish pursuit of wealth to the detriment of themselves and society would prove a valuable study. However, the author's trite, formulaic writing ruined the book for me. A few of the more irritating points were the unnecessary, forced vulgarity - not of the subject matter, but in the writing style; the way he ended so many ideas with a comparison (eg. To say I looked sartorially challenged would be akin to saying Mike Tyson looked like he could handle himself in a fight. pg. 77); and the way he waffled between wanting to help and be moral and his decidedly amoral actions. Even at the end, in his "reformed" state while waxing about how greed will ruin society and the environment, he states that he wants to be considered an artist because they get away with everything. All in all, the book was not a strong read, either as a comedy, or a biography, or as philosophy. It tried too much and accomplished nothing. If you are very interested in London financial life and are not offended easily you may enjoy the book, but I can't say that I enjoyed it much.

[Emilie · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a recent American transplant in London reading this, I found it to be fairly eye-opening in terms of the so-called "inside track" of life and dealings in the financial sector of the city. I found it highly entertaining and would have given it more stars, if not for the amateurish style of writing from Anderson, which for me, lessened the experience a few degrees - enough with the similes and metaphors, please! The book opens with a real punch in the gut, but then slows down to a mere crawl for about 100 pages before diving back into the storyline. You'll find yourself laughing heartily at times and at other times, perhaps gasping at the sums of money spent on lavish excursions, and of course, drugs and alcohol. I couldn't help but feel at the end, however, that Anderson, while living the high and hard life, has made out like a bandit in the end of it all. I'd recommend the book for an interesting and entertaining read, especially if you work in an urban area and find this line of occupation appealing.

[Marc Aafjes · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first book finished for 2015. I started on this few years back, and decided to start the year with this light humorous (depending on your point of view) book.

Overall a nice read about personal experiences in the investment banking sector, and the issues arising from the participants' incentives and their psychological drivers. It's clear the author has quite a negative recollection of his experiences during his time 'in the city', which -- from my own understanding and experiences -- ring true in more than a few instances. The negative tone throughout the book might make it less accessible/enjoyable to those with a more moderate view on the sector though. The writing style is easy and generally fun, however the 'creatives' descriptive analogies get tedious after a while in IMHO.

Finally, the book reminds me a lot of 'consulting demons' (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...), which gives a similar kind of insight into the management consulting profession (including with my previous employer), and in a fun read.

[Freddie Gray · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hard to really identify how this book could be described as revealing. As for as insights go, pointing out that people working in finance can regularly be corrupt, immoral and motivated by greed is about as interesting as declaring you enjoy “having fun” on a dating app. The only genuine bit of introspection appears to be his talent is limited to bullshitting, which only serves to frustrate the reader as you chow down on his latest serving. Truly, one of the most insincere reflections of a life lived in complete conflict of his claimed ideals, which incidentally, I think serve more as a “I’m not all bad” narrative plot point, rather than any genuine conviction. Rounded up with the old cliche that “money doesn’t bring you happiness”, which of course most decent people assume to be the case, particularly if you’ve lied, cheated and stolen to get it.

[Steven · Rating 3 out of 5]

A light hearted look into the ego's of some the smaller swinging dicks in the square mile. I think Geraint is still selling out even though no longer in the suare mile but no different to anyone who still has a job there. Its all about making a buck and some of the stories are very funny as are names of banks(megashite etc). Also given the current credit crisis this books gives a small insight in to how part of the current mess came about.

[Sid Mewara · Rating 1 out of 5]

Pedestrian writing, over stretched the analogies, and generally not worth a read.

[Marcel Richter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sehr unterhaltsamer Einblick in die Investment-Welt von London.

[Temi Abimbola · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed his story.

A great insight into the world experienced in the city of London.

[Mark Farley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed it and I found it fascinating, as I do with walks of life that are completely alien to me. Although the author does admit that a lot of the book is a fictional account of instances and characters plucked from his real life experience. And of course, it's a clever and insightful account of the boom and bust years.

The champagne-fueled excesses of riches, strip clubs and narcotic-injected wildness are obviously pure escapism for someone like me, who has led a relatively boring time of it. So in that it was very entertaining.

I still don't get the whole stocks, shares and markets stuff. But then I was really shit at maths.

[Aoife Cassidy McM]

I read this obnoxious book years ago and it popped into my head today while reading Gary Stevenson’s The Trading Game.

[Avishek Halder · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cityboy is a sometimes cruel story of how a self proclaimed left wing hippy in need of a job turns into a corporate monster thanks to Europe's biggest money market, the Square Mile. Steve in desperate need of a job secures a position as a market analyst and slowly but surely turns into everything he hates. The character bluffs his way to success and makes sums of money which can only be described as ostentatious. With money comes all the other negatives that are associated with it (drugs, obscene amounts of alcohol, insecurity, greed and it's bedfellow materialism), till he reaches his tipping point and can't recognize himself anymore.


I wouldn't suggest this book for anyone who might consider themselves to be a layman when it comes to all things related to the stock market and it's workings. Quite a lot of the terminology had me Googling simultaneously as I read the book. It definitely is a book which requires a lot of patience as there is no real story. It isn't badly written nor is the context poorly structured. It is simply not that riveting. Having said that, the book is interesting in parts and it can be quite entertaining for those who are in the Square Mile or Wall Street or any other stock market related business. It's a decent book with fairly interesting anecdotes and many good one liners. I would say read it if you have good understanding of the world of finance, or simply if you want to learn more about it. Personally I enjoy books with a little more thrill, which this book lacks, and it really is very difficult to associate with the character at any point in the story.

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

La transformation de Steve, jeune étudiant en histoire gaucho, qui après un tour du monde (à la découverte de drogues exotiques) et une thèse sur les manifestations de mai 68 se retrouve, pistonné par son frère, employé dans une banque à la City. Il découvre les différentes méthodes qui permettent à des jeunes de 25 ans sans trop de qualifications d’obtenir des salaires à 6 chiffres et des bonus à 7. Il se livre même à corps perdu dans ce monde compétitif propice à tous les excès, avec pourtant toutefois une vue critique et mâtinée d’une ironie féroce sur cet univers et ses propres actions.

Les chapitres qui se suivent introduisent tous un personnage archétypal (le trader, le jeune diplômé, le Génie, l’enflure, etc…) en élargissant pour décrire également certains aspects des métiers de la City, avec en fil blanc la compétition avec l’enflure Hugo pour le prix de premier analyste de la place.

Une descente aux enfers à base de rails de coke et de fêtes peuplées de naïades croqueuses de diamants nourries à coup de bonus de plusieurs centaines de milliers de livres, qui se termine quand le narrateur (qui n’est pas l’auteur, les personnages n’ont aucuns rapports d’ailleurs avec des personnes réelles, c’est très clairement indiqué en postface). Je dirais que ce livre est un peu la suite de liar poker. Liar Poker décrivait les excès de Wall Street pendant la période des années 80 jusque la crise des années 90 avec le krach de 87. Cityboy concerne les années 90-2000 dans la city alors en plein essor (à cause d’une règlementation un peu plus stricte à Wall Street), jusque la crise des subprimes en 2007-8, en passant par la crise des valeurs internet en 2001.

[Ankur Rastogi · Rating 3 out of 5]

City Boy is supposed to be an insider account of the filthy money and life lived by so called investment bankers. Written in a witty and sarcastic tone, the book does provide an interesting account.

The book's primary focus areas remain money, drugs & sex. I have read some other books on investment banker's life and almost all say the same thing. That investment bankers make a hell lot of money for doing almost nothing. True they spend almost 60-70 hrs week but the justification for earning money is meaningless. Also considering the fact that most economic crisis arise from banks , yet they are the ones who are rarely impacted adds to the concerns.

However, I must also add that the book comes across as an exaggeration. Obviously having never worked as an investment analyst or a trader, I can't truly state that the book is true or false. But still many sections do come across as "over the top".

I guess the author wanted to shock the audience which it does sometimes but in most cases, the reader ends up just getting amused as it gets hard to believe.

All banks are being used as nicknames like Scheisebank or megashite which could be Deutsch Bank or Citibanks of this world.

The book can be read. It may make poor souls like me who work in other industries tremendously jealous but still it's an entertaining read.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

An unsurprising yet unsettling expose on the behaviour of London stockbrokers - but probably symptomatic of the "profession" - if it could be called that - worldwide. The writing style is very chatty, as if the narrator is telling a yarn down the pub, and what a yarn it is! When I first saw this book in the library, I thought it was a novel, but the publishers Headline have seen fit to categorise it under "Non-fiction/Memoir". Hard to say how much is fiction and how much is fact; I suspect much of it is true, although it does reinforce every negative stereotype you've ever had about elite finance: the excessive materialism, the macho competitiveness, the outrageous debauchery. It borrows a lot of credence by detailing the major corporate scandals of the early 21st century, all of which have only fuelled our loathing for this particular breed of distasteful human being. And as the cover blurb reads, the timing couldn't be better, as the world is still reeling from the latest international financial disaster brought on by unbridled greed. I found the end-of-book epiphany of the narrator a bit saccharine sweet, considering that he had very much profited from the corrupt system before finally condemning it. Nevertheless, a good, entertaining read - recommended.

[Jacob Decosta]

(I was too harsh in my review. I'm not widthdrawling it though.)

The book has promise, but the author needs to work at his craft.

I do think he's telling the truth about Stockbrokers, and the rest of the money grabbers. Yes--money grabbers. Pretty much every wealthy person, or even successful person, I have met are illmoral money grubbers. Be it the Stockbroker, or Medical Doctor; they are all sellouts. I guess you need to step on people in order to make your wad these days?

If the author reads this;

0. less is more sometimes.

1. Fire your editor. (I'm assuming you have another book in you because guys like will have money later in life.)

2. Funnel you paragraphs, and thoughts.

3. Cut out most of the unnessary words.

4. I do feel like you will become a better writer with age. This is probally your first book, so you get a pass.

5. Watch the vices--I know I have to watch them. Live a long prosperous life. You have greatness in you.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Prescient" seems like the obvious word choice for Cityboy, a fictionalized inside look at the debauchery of London's Wall Street equivalent, the City.

But there it is, it's hard to get away from -- published in 2008, and written primarily in 2006, Cityboy predicts in uncouched, harsh terms, the subprime mortgage crisis of September & October 2008 that resulted in the largest one-day loss in stock market history. What else can you call it but prescient?

That said, not only is it intriguing to read Anderson's perspective with the aid of hindsight, but the writing isn't too shabby either. Fairly fast-paced and humorous, Anderson does get a bit navel-gazing and egotistical at times, but maintains a tone that makes his narrator and protagonist, Steve Jones, fairly likeable.

A fun, quick, fascinating read.

[Bader · Rating 2 out of 5]

Addictive for the wrong reasons; yes it's (for the most part) fast paced and simplistic so that anyone who is not well versed with the financial world can pick it up and finish it, however it is in my belief that readers are more intrigued with a simplistic version of the truth as opposed to this book which is a cocktail of sensationalism, where fiction meets the truth. With that fiction, it becomes hard for the reader to get a real "inside" look into the world of excess which bankers live; I wound up asking where does the truth stop and sensationalism start? It would seem the author was trying hard to write a good story, and if it's that's the case, hats off to you Sir, (you might even get a movie deal).

Wouldn't recommend it as a primary read, keep it on your shelf as a secondary book just in case you're reading something else which is heavier than Cityboy.

[Joachim · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is all about how greedy and selfish cityboys are and hey, Mr Anderson was one of them so he should know, right? Maybe, because it is not clear what is made up. He states, that the narrator called "Steve" is not him but resembles him. Mr Anderson apparently never worked for a bulge bracket bank as Steve does in the book. I am sure this book is a mix of facts and fiction and my best guess is, that a lot of these events are stories he might have heard from some fellows. His vulgar writing style is funny in a newspaper column but his rambling for almost 300 pages is too much. Mr. Anderson should take a lesson or two from Michael Lewis in how to write funny without being messy. I still give it a few stars since I had a laugh or two but it also took me two years to finish the book since I "enjoyed" it in small doses.

[Vivienne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wonder if the subtitle 'Beer and Loathing' gives this one away. Like Hunter S. Thompson's drug-addled Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, I read it while wondering which of the anecdotes happened to the author and which were fictional or office rumours...

It's very funny, however, although - reading between the lines - most of Steve's colleagues were spreadsheet-kissing spods, or whatever he called them, who unsportingly went home to their wives before the debauchery started.

This is probably the book that spawned the genre of Cityboy lit. So, if you enjoy reading about white lefty hippy financiers snorting cocaine off the stomach of Brazilian prostitutes sprawled across the bonnet of Ferraris, why not pick up this book.

Rated two stars because, although it's an entertaining read, it's not War and Peace or Dan Brown or anything...

[Kerem · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're looking for a light read this might be your call. At times interesting and witty, the book gives a good number of anecdotes about this financier's life in the City. The "moral parts" read quite a bit hypocritical and somehow artificial, just like "do what the priest tells you, not what he does"...

[Silvia Boev · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the book even though I hated the author/ main character and thought he was a w**ker. He’s arrogant and unlikable but gives a fantastic narrative explaining the dog eat dog world and arrogant attitude of working in the city. I’m so glad I’m not part of this soul-destroying world. Good to have a glimpse from the outside and keep away.

[Edin Karakas · Rating 3 out of 5]

First half of the book is somewhat boring. Using a lot of forced language that is supposed to be funny but seldom is. It took me some time to get to speed, which I did only at about half of the book. The second part became pageturner with lots of suspense. Enlightning and leaves bitter taste abot the world we live in.

[Bryn Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rude, crude and depressing story with funny, witty and insightful look into the world of finance, the personal cost of working as a stockbroker and an explanation of how the financial world works in theory and in practice. Well worth a read.