Who was John Lewis? What story lies behind the retail empire that bears his name? Prize-winning biographer Victoria Glendinning has had full access to the company and family archives to write this eye-opening story. She captures the toxic relationships that unfolded between Lewis and his two sons, Spedan and Oswald, as they collided over the future of their retail empire—their worst moments including emotional blackmail, face slapping and a kidnapping—and much litigation between father and both sons. Yet the family never broke up and Spedan’s vision of a Partnership model to act as an ethical corrective and foster a community of happier, more productive workers was eventually realised and survives to this day. This brilliant group biography captures a rags-to-riches story and a tempestuous family saga.