From the first master of the post in 1512 to the vast network of today, the Royal Mail is an intrinsic part of everyday life in Britain. Whether describing the sensation caused by the penny post in 1840, the Great Train Robbery of 1963, or the growth of telegrams and telephones, this book shows how the history of the Royal Mail is our history.

Duncan Campbell-Smith is a former Financial Times and Economist journalist whose career has also included working in the City and as a management consultant with McKinsey. He holds Visiting Senior Research Fellowships at the Institute of Historical Research and at the Centre for Contemporary British History at King's College, London. His previous books include Follow the Money (Penguin 2008).