Alistair Darling, former chancellor, is to write a book about his experience at the heart of the global banking crisis.
The book, provisionally entitled Back from the Brink, will focus on the failure of British banks such as Northern Rock and RBS, as well as the US institutions Lehman Brothers, Fannie Mae and AIG.
It will detail the frantic behind-the-scenes negotiations between politicians and central bankers in the US and Britain as the crisis threatened to spiral out of control in the autumn of 2008.
The book will also trumpet the pivotal role played by Darling and former prime minister Gordon Brown in putting together an international rescue package.
Darling’s story will capture important events during his three-year tenure as chancellor in Brown’s cabinet but will steer clear of revealing tensions between ministers. Darling is reported as saying he isn’t interested in a “kiss-and-tell” book that focuses on personalities.
Toby Mundy, chief executive of the publishers, Atlantic Books, said: “Not only will Darling’s book be a gripping drama but it is also a vital historical document.
Small businesses in the UK are benefiting as bank lending begins to stabalise, it has been claimed.