The Alchemists: Inside the secret world of central bankers

Lead economic correspondent for the Washington Post, Neil Irwin, offers rare insights into the shadowy and unknown world of the four most influential bankers on the planet: Ben Bernanke of the US Federal Reserve, Mervyn King of the Bank of England, Jean-Claude Trichet of the European Central Bank, and Zhou Xiaochuan of the People’s Bank of China. The decisions that these four men make determine the fates of nations - their successes allow for global hegemony; their failures lead to national decline.

Decisions by these central bankers will determine whether the world can brush aside the after-effects of the Great Panic of 2008 to create a more stable and more prosperous world.

The Alchemists will give readers an exclusive, behind-the-scenes view of their work, and a better understanding of their true significance in our lives and livelihood.