Patrick Radden Keefe’s “London Falling” and Death in the Time of Oligarchs

Talking Feds

Harry Litman

News, Politics, Government

4.8 • 4.5K Ratings

🗓️ 28 May 2026

⏱️ 40 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

A teenager hurtles from the balcony of a luxury apartment complex into the Thames. That unexplained death animates the newest book from one of America’s great nonfiction writers, Patrick Radden Keefe. Patrick joins Harry to unspool the story's web of shady characters, complacent police, and desperate parents. The two delve into the transformation of London into a playground for the extremely and unscrupulously wealthy—like Russian oligarchs—that made the fatal fall possible and draw out the way Trump is overseeing a similar shift in the United States. And Harry digs into Patrick’s approach to writing, including how his law degree informs his precise, almost prosecutorial reporting. Mentioned in this episode: London Falling: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/704979/london-falling-by-patrick-radden-keefe/ Patrick's reporting: https://www.newyorker.com/contributors/patrick-radden-keefe Patrick's story about Trump, Mark Burnett, and the Apprentice: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/01/07/how-mark-burnett-resurrected-donald-trump-as-an-icon-of-american-success Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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0:00.0	Some follow the noise.
0:03.3	Bloomberg follows the money.
0:05.4	Because behind every headline is a bottom line.
0:09.3	Whether it's the funds-fueling AI or crypto's trillion-dollar swings,
0:13.8	there's a money-side to every story.
0:16.5	And when you see the money-side, you understand what others miss.
0:22.3	Get the money-side of the story., you understand what others miss. Get the money side of the story.
0:25.2	Subscribe now at Bloomberg.com.
0:31.9	This episode is brought to you by Expedia and Visit Scotland.
0:34.2	Start your story in Scotland.
0:41.2	Experience the pool of wide, untamed landscapes and fresh cuisine that feels rooted in place.
0:44.0	Discover castles steeped in legend.
0:50.7	And feel the genuine warmth from locals you meet in a place that will stay with you long after you leave.
0:53.3	Start planning your own Scottish holiday.
0:55.0	Today at Expedia.com.uk slash visit Scotland.
0:57.0	Welcome to Talking Fed's one-on-one, deep dive discussions with Figures about the most fascinating and consequential issues
1:14.1	defining our culture and shaping our lives. I'm your host, Harry Littman. We've had the pleasure in
1:21.5	several of these one-on-ones of in-depth discussions with authors of new and noteworthy books,
1:27.0	and that's what we're doing today.
1:29.6	Patrick Radden-Keefe is a staff writer for The New Yorker and an award-winning author who has come to
1:35.6	occupy really the highest rung among authors of American nonfiction. He's written six books,
1:42.3	including the fantastically received say nothing about the Northern Irish Troubles and Empire of Pain about the Sackler Farma dynasty.
	...

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