The death of Roberto 'God's Banker' Calvi, found hanging from scaffolding under Blackfriars Bridge days before his bank’s collapse, lies at the centre of one of the most extraordinary criminal puzzles of all time. Straight from the dark heart of Italy, the story involves the largest bankruptcy in European history, complex forensics, and secret masonic rituals, with a cast of characters to put The Da Vinci Code to shame – including Opus Dei, the mafia, the Vatican and the governments of Italy, the USA and the UK.
Investigative journalist Philip Willan finally uncovers the truth of Calvi’s execution and his last days on the run.
The banker’s elimination prevented the world from learning the full extent of western funding of anti-communist terrorism and insurgency – and about the real activities of the masonic sect P2, Italy’s secret ‘shadow state’. Had Calvi’s death been investigated properly, Italy’s government today might have been very different. And the failure to investigate began in England. This true story of a man falling off the precipice is also a shocking political exposé.