The novel concerns the political and social environment in Britain during the 1980s, and covers the period up to the beginning of aerial bombardment against Iraq in the first Gulf War in January 1991.

It is a critique of British politics under the Conservative government of Margaret Thatcher (and, briefly, John Major) and of the ways in which national policy was seen to be dictated by the concerns of narrow, but powerful, interest groups with influence in banking, the media, agriculture, healthcare, the arms trade and the arts.

Godfrey, son of the wealthy Matthew and Frances Winshaw of Yorkshire, is shot down by German anti-aircraft fire during a secret wartime mission over Berlin, on 30 November 1942.

He works on this on and off, but with no deadline or pressure to complete, the project stagnates and Michael becomes reclusive, staying in his London flat watching videotapes of old films – in particular the 1961 British comedy What a Carve Up!

He emerges back into society, and resumes his interest in the project, following a visit from a neighbour, Fiona, seeking sponsorship for a 40-mile bicycle ride.

The novel focuses by turns on the various figures in the Winshaw family: the lazy, hypocritical, populist tabloid newspaper columnist Hilary, the ambitious and ruthless career politician Henry, the brutal chicken and pork farmer Dorothy, the predatory art-gallery owner and art dealer Roderick (Roddy), the investment banker Thomas, and the arms dealer Mark.

In each of these sections the novel depicts the way in which actions by individuals from the same family, serving their own greedy interests, have distressing and far-reaching consequences.

Michael's renewed interest in the Winshaws coincides with the appearance in his life of Findlay Onyx, a private detective hired by Tabitha to pursue the mystery of whether or not Lawrence was complicit in Godfrey's death.

She suffers from the symptoms of some mysterious illness, but her consultations are constantly delayed, or her records are misplaced, by underresourced health service professionals.

The following morning Tabitha ensures that she is piloting Hilary Winshaw's seaplane to take Michael home, but deliberately destroys the plane, killing them both.

Runs an intensive farm business with her rather sentimental husband George who despairs of her disregard for even the least humane treatment of animals.

Michael Owen – A young writer with a couple of moderately successful novels behind him who is commissioned to write the history of the Winshaws by Tabitha.

Falls ill but, owing to cutbacks to the Health Service, fails to get treatment before her condition is too advanced to treat, and dies from Lymphoma.

Joan – A female friend of Michael's from his childhood, a social worker, who he visits at her home in Sheffield in 1982, meeting Phoebe and Graham for the first time there.

After graduating he starts his own production company but by chance is able to work alongside Mark Winshaw, seeing closely into the business of arms dealing.

[citation needed] Robert McCrum called it "the finest English satire from the 1980s - a memorable and explicit commentary on Thatcherism.

It was scripted by Reginald Perrin creator David Nobbs, produced by Lucy Armitage, and starred Robert Bathurst.

A supporting cast included Rebecca Front, Charlie Higson, Geoffrey Palmer, Lucy Punch and Jeff Rawle.

The theatre recorded a film featuring Fiona Button, Alfred Enoch, Rebecca Front, Stephen Fry, Celia Imrie, Derek Jacobi, Griff Rhys Jones and Tamzin Outhwaite and streamed it on-line.