'Where mainstream public administration uncritically accepts the story of agencification as 'reform', James sees civil servants shaping their organizations into forms that yield maximum benefits for officials in hard political times. His approach successfully predicts where and why agencification so signally failed to deliver lasting public service improvements. The book is a major contribution towards renewing the flagging intellectual impetus of public administration and public management studies.' - Professor Patrick Dunleavy, Department of Government, London School of Economics 'This is an innovative, well written, and major contribution to understanding and explaining a revolution in British government. Deserves to be on the bookshelf of all those interested in British politics and policymaking. Oliver James has produced a book which will become essential reading for students and practitioners alike.' - Professor Wayne Parsons, Department of Politics, Queen Mary, University of London 'This book is an important double contribution to the public management literature...[it] stands out as a detailed and coherent piece of analysis and argument.' - Political Studies Review 'This is a timely and highly innovative piece of intellectual and empirical work.' - Rose Melville, Journal of Social Policy
