In this volume Simon Taylor has combined interviews with former executives, regulators and analysts with his own unique insight into the nuclear industry to provide an analysis of the origins of the crisis and the financial and corporate strategies used by British Energy plc.

Part 1: The Years of Optimism (1945-89) 2. Influence of the Bomb: Calder Hall and the Magnoxes (1945-1960) 3. The AGRs and the Reactor Debates (1960-78) 4. The First Privatisation Attempt (1979-89) Part 2: A Focused Industry (1990-1995) 5. Humiliation and Transformation (1990-1994) 6. The Birth of British Energy (1995) Part 3: Life in the Private Sector (1996-2002) 7. Privatisation (1996) 8. Hubris (1997-1999) 9. Nemesis (1999-2001) 10. Crisis (2001-2002) Part 4: Analysis - The Causes of the Crisis 11. Financial Strategy 12. Corporate Strategy 13. The Power Price Collapse 14. The British Reactor Legacy 15. The BNFL Contracts Part 5: Conclusions - The Multiple Causes of Failure 16. The International Context: British Uniqueness? 17. Conclusion

Simon Taylor is Management Practice Professor of Finance at the University of Cambridge, UK