Matthew Lynn (born 1962) is a British financial journalist, author and publisher. He writes for The Daily Telegraph, The Spectator and MoneyWeek, and has worked as a columnist for The Sunday Times and Bloomberg.[1] He is also a thriller writer and author of the Death Force series of novels, having written under the name James Harland.
Early life
Lynn was born in 1962 and grew up in Exeter and Dublin, before moving to London. He was educated at Balliol College, Oxford.
His book Four Walls Eight Windows (ECON, 1997) was reviewed by Library Journal, which wrote, "Lynn's treatment of the political, industrial, and social turmoil surrounding the sale to major carriers of a stable of aircraft of various payloads and ranges has all the intrigue and skullduggery of a spy novel".[5]
Lynn wrote two business books, The Billion-Dollar Battle: Merck v. Glaxo[6] and Birds of Prey: Boeing v. Airbus.[7] The latter received a review from Publishers Weekly,[8] while Kirkus Reviews noted Lynn "writes serviceable prose at best".[7]
In a 2007 Bloomberg article, Matt Lynn predicted that Apple Inc. "…will sell a few to its fans, but the iPhone won't make a long-term mark on the industry".[9]
He is the author of Bust: Greece, the Euro and the Sovereign Debt Crisis, published in late 2010,[10][11][12] and more recently, The Long Depression: The Slump of 2008 to 2031 (Endeavour Press).[13] His articles and opinions have been used as references by other authors and researchers.[14][15][16][17] Bust was reviewed in CHOICE: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries as follows: "books on economics and international finance rarely provide an exciting, gripping read".[18]
In 2012, Lynn was chief executive of Strategy Economics, a London-based consultancy.[13] His "London Eye" column began appearing weekly in MarketWatch in June 2011.[19]
Novelist
As James Harland, he published The Month of the Leopard in 2001. Kirkus Reviews wrote, "Tension, pitifully lacking in the first two thirds of this grand adventure for MBAs, finally arrives, but nonbankers will probably have bailed out by then".[20]Publishers Weekly noted, "There are problems: flat characterizations, gratuitous violence, unconvincing motivation for Telmont and a too-hasty denouement. But the book is a page-turner for anyone interested in high-stakes financial shenanigans".[21]
He started writing the Death Force series of action-adventure thrillers in 2009. Featuring a group of mercenaries, the series includes Death Force, Fire Force and Shadow Force. The News of the World gave the first book a four-starred rating, describing it as "a Boy's-Own adventure guaranteed to get the pulse racing. It is up there with the finest that Andy McNab or Chris Ryan have ever penned".[22]
When trying to promote his book The Watchmen, Lynn offered the first chapter for free on the website Motley Fool UK. However users on the website objected to his unusual method of publicity and Lynn had to back off.[25]
^Lane, Mel D. "Birds of Prey: Boeing vs. Airbus; A Battle for the Skies." Library Journal, vol. 122, no. 7, 15 Apr. 1997, p. 92. Gale Literature Resource Center.
^Whalen, E.L. "Lynn, Matthew. Bust: Greece, the euro, and the sovereign debt crisis." CHOICE: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries, vol. 48, no. 10, June 2011, p. 1969. Gale Literature Resource Center.
^"Matt Lynn". fantasticfiction.com. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
^Onwuemezi, Natasha. "Matthew Lynn (Founder) & James Faktor (Publishing director) of Endeavor Media." The Bookseller, no. 5833, 1 Mar. 2019, p. 12. Gale Literature Resource Center.
