Failures of State

*THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER*

A GUARDIAN AND SUNDAY TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR

‘An astonishing book’ James O’Brien

‘A gripping, devastating read’ Sunday Times

The inside story of the UK’s response to the pandemic from the Insight investigations unit at The Sunday Times

Failures of State recounts the extraordinary political decisions taken at the heart of Boris Johnson’s government during the global pandemic.

Fully updated and corroborated by hundreds of sources, this is the insider’s account of how the government sleepwalked into disaster and tried to cover up its role in the tragedy. Thrillingly told, it exposes one of the most scandalous failures of political leadership in British history.

‘A damning indictment’ Alan Johnson, Observer

‘A devastating piece of journalism’ Andrew Marr

‘This is a scandal’ Piers Morgan

Jonathan Calvert is the editor of The Sunday Times’ renowned Insight investigative team. His accolades include British Journalist of the Year and the Paul Foot Award as well as Scoop of the Year on four occasions.
George Arbuthnott joined The Sunday Times on the Marie Colvin Scholarship and is now deputy editor of the Insight team. He has won six British Journalism and UK Press Awards, including Investigation of the Year and Scoop of the Year, and has been shortlisted for an Amnesty International Award, the European Press Prize and the Orwell Prize.