Sometimes quiet officials in the background smash through with much better analysis and insight into political issues than any louder counterparts. Lord Plowden doesn't disappoint and his position as the Chief Civil Servant at the UK Treasury from 1947 gives him a unique view of UK/US relations, European integration and the re-building of the British economy. The conclusions could have been written last week as he says the British state has consistently underspent on defence since the Korean War. He makes clear the fine detail of how Britain wanted to match finances to its commitments internationally and to maintain its independence from the European project. He is clear that he could not have pushed British membership of the EEC harder or faster at that time. I find it strange that Plowden struggles to get a mention in biographies of Rab Butler, the pair lived near each other in Essex and worked closely together after 1951. The book spends a lot of time discussing the decision to devalue in 1949 and how Marshall Aid funds were spent revealing the behind-the-scenes battles. I recommend this book as there is plenty on how Whitehall worked/works and Plowden chaired a review of the Civil Service machine in the 1960s. An outstanding public servant with a very interesting tale to tell.