Drayton and Mackenzie

'Will have you hooked' The Times Best Summer Books

By: Alexander Starritt

Narrated by: Ciaran Saward

'A big, bustling novel about love, friendship, money, ambition and the 21st century, packed with humour and intelligent observations ... I finished it tear-stained' Sunday Times

'Will have you hooked ... an ode to the enduring power of male friendship' The Times Best Summer Books

For the first time since university, James and Roland's paths through life - one drawn in straight lines, the other squiggled and meandering - began to cross...

James Drayton has always found things too easy. By the time he leaves university, he's still searching for a challenge worthy of his ambitions, one that will fulfil the destiny he thinks awaits him.

Roland Mackenzie, on the other hand, is an impulsive risk-taker, a charismatic drifter with boundless enthusiasm but a knack for derailing his own attempts to get started in life.

When a chance encounter in a pub reunites these old acquaintances, it sets them on an unpredictable course through the upheavals of the 21st century, and triggers an unlikely alliance. Against the backdrop of the financial crash and its aftermath, they strive to create something that outlasts them, something that will matter.

Drayton and Mackenzie is a stunningly ambitious, immediately engaging and ultimately deeply moving novel both about trying to make your mark on the world, and about how a friendship might be the most important thing in life.

THE MUCH-ANTICIPATED NOVEL FROM AN AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR

CAN FRIENDSHIPS CHANGE THE WORLD?©2025 Alexander Starritt

Great book, touching story

I really loved this book. It was such a fun insight into the business world of the past 25 years.

Great story that incorporates business history

This novel is extremely erudite and includes recent business and financial history, including current news makers such as Peter Thiel and Elon Musk. The lead characters are two diametrically opposite friends - one driven and socially awkward, and the other unmotivated but charming - the story shows their influence on each other and lifelong devotion despite their differences.
The narration is excellent and thoroughly enjoyable.
Highly recommended!

Beautiful book

What a beautiful book. Really enjoyed it. Smart, sharp writing. Well researched.
Really touched me.

Terrific writing, well performed

Could have been half the length, many bits dragged, but in the end sustained by pure writing talent.