'An outstanding achievement, and mesmerically readable.' Sunday Times

In October 1998, former Chilean dictator General Augusto Pinochet was arrested in London and charged with crimes against humanity. But over the 16 months that Pinochet was detained, intriguing questions went unanswered about his close ties with Britain. Why was Lady Thatcher so keen to defend the General? And why was Tony Blair's usually cautious government prepared to have him arrested? Andy Beckett uncovers the answers that reside deep within the long and shadowy shared history between Britain and Chile.

Andy Beckett is a Guardian columnist. He has also written for the Economist, The New York Times magazine, the London Review of Books and the Independent on Sunday. His books include Promised You A Miracle, When the Lights Went Out and Pinochet in Piccadilly.