Branson

The image remains pristine: a charismatic high-school dropout turned billionaire, whose stratospheric rise and daring exploits have won him millions of enduring admirers and made him a model for aspiring entrepreneurs throughout the world. But is this story still credible? Over the last decade, has Branson matched the expectations perpetuated by Virgin's relentless publicity machine? Or have we all been seduced by a brilliant showman? In his most explosive book to date, Tom Bower, bestselling biographer of Simon Cowell, Bernie Ecclestone, Conrad Black and Robert Maxwell, dares to explore the reality of the Branson empire. In doing so, he unravels the gripping story of his recent activities - from the astonishing success of mobile phones to his troubled airlines and his long delayed plan to send multimillionaires into space - and asks whether he really remains Britain's heroic buccaneer.

Tom Bower is an investigative historian, broadcaster and journalist. A former producer and reporter for BBC Television, he is the author of many books, including biographies of Robert Maxwell, Mohamed Fayed, Gordon Brown, Richard Branson and Conrad Black. Broken Dreams, his investigation into corruption in English football, won the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award in 2003 and his recent bestsellers include No Angel: The Secret Life of Bernie Ecclestone and Sweet Revenge: the Intimate Life of Simon Cowell. He lives in London.