Description

Born in poverty alongside his grandfather's mill in Southwell, Nottinghamshire, Joseph Lockwood became a world expert on flour milling, author of the standard textbook on the subject. That's not what he's remembered for today, however--because his second act was even more impressive: in midlife he became chairman of EMI, which billed itself as "The Greatest Recording Organisation in the World." In that role, he quickly became a public figure, a prominent voice on business affairs and an advisor to the government on arts-related issues. In the 1960s, as the Beatles--EMI artists--became the biggest band in the world, exporting British culture around the globe, Lockwood continued to steer the company carefully, fighting over the years to keep it under British control. This book traces the course of Lockwood's life and career, from the perspective of his good friend William Cavendish, who worked alongside him throughout this period.