Treasury is the official commissioned history of our most important department of state, founded with the nation in 1840. It is a rich and textured story: it shows the perennial jousting of officials with ministers, the rise and fall of the accountants and the rise and rise of the economists. It shows the impact of changes in the political scene and of events in the world economy. Not always grey bureaucrats, colourful figures stride the pages: one secretary was representative rugby player, one was a better politician than the politicians, one took beginner's ballet classes through an es