This is a text about shareholders - who they are, what they own, how their composition and character has changed, and with it their relationship with the companies they own, their shareholder rights and responsibilities. It explores corporate governance issues against this changing background.

Why a Book about Shareholders? ; 1. The Purpose of the Company ; 2. The Role of Shareholders ; 3. The World of Regulation ; 4. The Development of the Joint Stock Company ; 5. The Role of the Directors ; 6. The Legal Framework for Shareholder Rights and Powers ; 7. The Role of Banks ; 8. The Ownership of Companies ; 9. Shares as a Home for Savings ; 10. The Private Shareholder ; 11. Narrower Share Ownership ; 12. The Power Within Companies ; 13. The Rise of the Institutions ; 14. The Legal Obligations of Institutional Shareholders ; 15. Traders or Owners? ; 16. The Institutions: Combined Action ; 17. Disclosure ; 18. The International Dimension ; 19. General Meetings ; 20. Remuneration ; 21. The Obligations of Significant Ownership ; 22. Guarding the Guards ; 23. A Programme of Reform

`a starting point for the UK business historian or for those interested i international comparative work. At the same time, it is an appropriate reminder of the stong links between business history research and the agendas of modern regulators.' Steven Toms, Business History, Vol.42, No. 3. July 00. `for the reader looking for introduction and background to the legal and governance issues dealt with in the Cadbury and Greenbury reports, Clarkham and Simpson have written a valuable guide.' Steven Toms, Business History, Vol.42, No. 3. July 00. `the book is well written and jargon-free. For those seeking an introduction to the main issues in British corporate history, the book is therefore a useful primer.' Steven Toms, Business History, Vol.42, No. 3. July 00. `there is much material in the book that is useful for the business historian. In particular, the study contains some useful discussion on the origins and development of the corporate institutions of the British economy.' Steven Toms, Business History, Vol.42, No. 3. July 00. `a timely new book on shareholder power and responsibility.' The Observer, Business 29/8/99 `The authors explore key corporate governance issues against the background of an ever-changing business environment ... their underlying concern is to show the importance of shareholder interest and involvement which they strongly believe will remain in the best interests of the company and the wider society in the 21st Century.' Busines Money, October 1999

Jonathan Charkham was formerly adviser to the Governor of the Bank of England and is Visiting Professor at City University, London. He has served on many committees on corporate governance abroad and in the UK including the National Health Service (1993/4) and the Cadbury Committee. He is an Adviser to PIRC Ltd, a member of the Committee of the Joint Disciplinary Scheme of the Accounting Profession, and a non-executive director of Great Universal Stores PLC. He is the author of Keeping Good Company: A Study of Corporate Governance in Five Counties (OUP, 1995). Anne Simpson is Managing Director of PIRC, one of the main consultancy bodies associated with corporate governance and institutional shareholder choice. He died in 2006