A Brief History of Double Entry Book-keeping

Jolyon Jenkins investigates how accountants shaped the modern world. How the 'railway mania' of the mid-19th century led to dodgy accounting and outright fraud. Investors demanded 10 per cent returns on new lines, even when the profits just weren't there to pay the dividends. The only way to keep everyone happy was to cook the books. But then, no-one was ever going to look at the books - or were they?