Matt Cooper – författare

An Irish epic, The Maximalist documents in unflinching detail and with great subtlety the meteoric rise and slow unravelling of an Irish icon. ‘Biography of the Year.’ The Sunday Times‘Biography of the Year.’ Sunday Business Post‘Well-written and well-timed. Mr O’Reilly — all of him — is all here.’ The Financial Times‘Exhilarating.’ The Irish Examiner‘A thorough and dramatic account of a life that encompasses sport, business, media, speculation and family drama.’ The Sunday Independent‘Brilliantly researched and scrupulously balanced … A compellingly psychological portrait that will surely be the last word on its subject for a long time.’ The Sunday Business Post‘A discerning and intriguing analysis of both O’Reilly’s ascent to billionaire and his crash to bankruptcy.’ The Irish Mail on Sunday

Leading journalist Matt Cooper examines the key players behind the scenes of Irish property ownership – who really controls the valuable land where we live, work and play and how did they acquire it? Who are the new foreign investors and why are they buying property and land in Ireland? What does it mean for ordinary citizens when the ownership of shopping centres, wind farms, forestry and data centres comes from outside? Comprehensively researched and filled with riveting detail, this compelling account of the Irish property landscape is about our offices, hotels and pubs and the power of those wealthy enough to accumulate these properties. This eye-opening book is a must-read for anyone interested in Ireland and who really owns it. ‘It's not possible to understand Irish society, politics or the economy without knowing who owns land and property. Brilliantly researched and written with verve, clarity and narrative punch, Matt Cooper's study is the essential guide to the ground beneath our feet and the roofs above our heads.’ Fintan O’Toole ‘Land is essential for homes, and in this book Matt Cooper provides a vital interrogation of who owns and controls it and how it is impacting on the housing crisis, a must read for anyone interested in understanding Ireland's housing crisis’ Rory Hearne

The operations of Aldershot & District and Thames Valley Omnibus Company were merged in 1972 to become Alder Valley under National Bus Company ownership. In the run-up to privatisation the two halves were split again; the Berks Bucks Bus Company was the official name of Alder Valley North, which was formed in 1986 and traded as the Bee Line. The book covers the geographic area of this operator but is not a specific history of the company.Starting in Berkshire’s county town of Reading and traveling to destinations such as Newbury, Windsor and Maidenhead, the reader is then taken into Buckinghamshire travelling through High Wycombe and Aylesbury to Milton Keynes. Both counties have a very varied transport history, particularly in the post-deregulation era.This book gives a colourful snapshot of the area from 1986 through to the new millennium. Many of the vehicle types and liveries, and even some operators, featured here are no longer with us today.

Following the deregulation of the bus industry in 1986, the transport scene in Northampton didn’t alter as drastically as in some other UK towns and cities. There was, however, a series of gradual changes as the ‘green’ buses of Northamptonshire gradually disappeared.With the cavernous Greyfriars bus station featuring throughout, this collection of previously unpublished photographs explores this interesting period between deregulation and the modern bus scene.

During the 1990s and 2000s the bus and coach scene across the Midlands evolved at a much greater rate than that of the preceding decades. From 1986 the subsidiaries of the National Bus Company were privatised along with several municipally owned companies across the region, the largest of which was the bus operations of West Midlands PTE. Independent companies came to try their hand by setting up new routes or networks and were joined by some established coach operators wishing to exploit new opportunities.This book looks at numerous coaching operations as they criss-cross this centrally located region, with established National Express services being joined by new ventures such as Stagecoach-owned Megabus. The region largely covers the area once served by Midland Red, with many operators, bus types and liveries to be seen, along with changing road layouts, bus stations and transport infrastructure. During this period tram systems returned to both Nottingham and Birmingham with bus services altered and adapted. Through a wealth of fascinating images and informative captions, Matt Cooper documents the transition from the post-privatisation era to the modern day.

The principal bus operator on the Isle of Wight is Southern Vectis, the name a nod to the Romans who once inhabited the island. In more recent times, from the reign of Queen Victoria, the popularity of the island increased – as has the provision for transport. Dr Beeching’s axe saw the once extensive rail network on the island reduced to just 9 miles of mainline track after 1966. This remains the same today with Island Line serving eight stations between Ryde Pier and Shanklin. This presented bus and coach companies with the opportunity to expand their operations to fill the gaps. Matt Cooper explores these operations on the island from the late 1990s before venturing across the Solent to the mainland to look at bus and coach operators running along the central South Coast. Loosely covering the area between Dorset and Sussex, the operators within it are as varied as the vehicle types to be seen. Both the ‘tourist trail’ and the routes travelled regularly by local residents are documented here.With a superb array of images, this book will be of interest to South Coast bus enthusiasts and will hopefully inspire visits to this beautiful part of the country.

Over the past thirty years the bus and coach scene across South West England and Wales has seen continual change, from the minibus era to the low-floor revolution. A vast array of vehicle types have been operated, with inter-company transfers by the larger groups of particular interest as well as those vehicles acquired ‘second-hand’.While many of the smaller operators have come and gone, a good number still provide vital transport links, often filling gaps left by the larger companies. Much consolidation has taken place over the past three decades with many companies now under the control of the industry’s major organisations. Numerous municipal operators once existed in Wales but all bar two have now closed or been taken over by larger companies. Some surprising moves are also detailed here, such as First Group’s virtual removal from Devon and Cornwall and the considerable expansion of the Stagecoach and Go-Ahead groups. The areas covered make up large parts of the ‘tourist trail’ in these regions with associated operations detailed alongside routes taken regularly by local residents.Matt Cooper’s carefully curated selection of images captures the transition from the post-deregulation era to that which exists today via a fascinating route that features a wide range of companies.

SHORTLISTED FOR THE IRISH BOOK AWARDS 2025The real story behind Dunnes Stores, the most quintessentially Irish shop of all, and the family drama behind itThis is the story of the extraordinary family behind one of Ireland's most famous businesses, Dunnes Stores, over three generations and covering nearly 80 years of retailing but going back as far as the 19th century. With drama worthy of the popular TV drama Succession, a real-life Irish family drama shows the children of a dominant founder argue as to who should run the supermarket empire after his death and take the money from it, and how they dealt or not, with addictions and ill health, including alcoholism.This is the story of excess, success and failure.

SHORTLISTED FOR THE IRISH BOOK AWARDS 2025The real story behind Dunnes Stores, the most quintessentially Irish shop of all, and the family drama behind itThis is the story of the extraordinary family behind one of Ireland's most famous businesses, Dunnes Stores, over three generations and covering nearly 80 years of retailing but going back as far as the 19th century. With drama worthy of the popular TV drama Succession, a real-life Irish family drama shows the children of a dominant founder argue as to who should run the supermarket empire after his death and take the money from it, and how they dealt or not, with addictions and ill health, including alcoholism.This is the story of excess, success and failure.