Antonia Hart

THE IRISH TIMES BESTSELLER, NOW IN PAPERBACK. 'A brilliant, entertaining read.' - Irish TimesThe head of the Guinness family tells the dramatic true story of how his ancestors created the largest brewery in the world. Growing up at Farmleigh, the country house outside Dublin, Arthur Edward Guinness – Ned for short – was fascinated by the secrets and legends that surrounded the early generations of his famous family of brewers, who went from obscurity in Kildare to the pinnacle of Irish and British society. In this bestselling account, he explores the challenges faced by each generation, culminating in the dramatic events when his great-great-grandfather bought out his glamorous older brother and floated Guinness on the stock exchange. Overnight Edward Cecil Guinness became Ireland’s richest man. This is a tale in which brewing genius, sibling rivalry, bounteous philanthropy and astonishing social mobility are interwoven with historic national events, including the Act of Union, Catholic Emancipation, the Famine, the Home Rule movement, the Dublin Lockout and ultimately Irish independence. It is the inside story, as told by Ned Guinness. 'The definitive history of the Guinness brewing dynasty.' – Irish Independent'A fantastic book.' –The Business (RTÉ Radio 1)'Really, really fascinating. More than a family biography, it's a book that positions Guinness and its commercial story against the backdrop of a city.' – Donal Fallon

The head of the Guinness family tells the true story of how his ancestors created the largest brewery in the world.In this narrative non-fiction book, Arthur Edward Guinness, the 4th Earl of Iveagh and head of the Guinness family tells, for the first time, the inside story of how the first four generations of Guinnesses, starting from humble origins in Ireland, created the world’s largest brewery and perhaps the most iconic beer ever. Drawing on family archives, he explores the contrasting personalities of his forebears, reveals the dramatic story of the Guinness family succession in the Victorian era, and explains how they made a difference in Ireland, Britain and far beyond.This is the true story of one of the great families of Ireland and Britain in its formative eras – a generational saga encompassing family drama, business innovation, public works and charitable endeavours.