Calls of Duty  (English, Paperback, Channer Raphael)

Many books will be written about the tumultuous changes, which have ripped through the world of telecoms: the evolution of competition, the socio-economic impacts of broadband, the tyranny of smartphone technology, and beyond. This book, however, is rather different... Written by an insider, Calls of Duty is the forthright and witty account of a company and a cast of impassioned individuals, all hell bent on a seemingly impossible mission: to make sense of the boundless opportunities opening before them, to create the future and make a success of it. During their mission, they face rampant headwinds from technological advance, market mayhem, recessions, organisational upheavals and financial crises. This is the story of thirty years in telecoms. Author Raphael Channer documents the development of BT following its historic privatisation in 1984, which saw virtually the entire UK telecoms sector pass from state ownership into private hands, with its mandate to plot, plan and lead the coming revolution. Not the full story, perhaps, and certainly not the official record, this book is above all the rueful and affectionate memoir of one man and his own rollercoaster ride, as he became gripped by a desire to spend his life on the telecoms frontier, embracing the new and remaining in the vanguard of change for almost thirty years. A man galvanised into action by the calls of progress, adventure and destiny. Calls of Duty will appeal to those with a business background and anyone who enjoys a humorous memoir.