Alan Beattie is the International Economy Editor of the Financial Times. He leads the paper’s coverage of world trade policy and economic globalization.

He is a nimble, accessible writer who brings to life even the most difficult-to-grasp goings on in today’s complex economic world. His expertise includes US and international economic issues, the Federal Reserve, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Bank.

Alan has made a life-long study of the reasons why some country and regional economies and societies succeed and others fail, and he has written a highly-regarded book with fascinating insights into the choices nations make and how those choices shape their economic future. He challenges accepted wisdom, exposing ideas such as the currently fashionable explanation that certain countries and regions are "destined" to be poor — or rich.

He joined the Financial Times in 1998 after working as an economist at the Bank of England.

He holds a Master's degree in Economics from Cambridge and a BA from Oxford in Modern History.

Reviewed books: