Author Guide · Undercover Journalism
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To write Hired, James Bloodworth gave up his job as editor of a political website and spent six months living on low wages: picking orders in an Amazon warehouse in Rugeley, visiting elderly clients as a care worker in Blackpool, answering phones at an insurance call centre in Swansea and driving for Uber in London. Seven years later he went into the manosphere. This guide covers all three of his books in order, and where to start.
By Lisanne Swart · 3 books · Undercover journalism · 2016–2025 · Updated October 2026
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Quick answer
James Bloodworth has published three books: The Myth of Meritocracy (2016), a short polemic on social mobility in Britain; Hired (2018), about six months working undercover in low-paid jobs; and Lost Boys (2025), a personal journey through the online world of the manosphere. The first one argues the case; the second one shows it.
Where to Start with James Bloodworth
If you want the famous one
→ Hired (2018).
If you want the most recent
→ Lost Boys (2025).
If you want the argument in brief
→ The Myth of Meritocracy (2016).
All 3 James Bloodworth Books, in Order
The Myth of Meritocracy
A short polemic, published in Biteback's Provocations series, arguing that Britain's claim to be a meritocracy hides how firmly class still decides who gets which jobs.
Hired
Bloodworth worked four jobs paying close to the minimum wage: an Amazon warehouse in Staffordshire, home care visits in Blackpool, an insurance call centre in Swansea and Uber driving in London, living on what he earned. The Times chose it as its current affairs book of the year for 2018, and it was longlisted for the 2019 Orwell Prize.
Lost Boys
Bloodworth's third book goes into the online and offline world of men's self-improvement, pick-up artistry and the influencers who sell young men a version of masculinity, and asks what draws them in.
How Many Books Did James Bloodworth Write?
Three books between 2016 and 2025, all published in the UK.
- Polemic — The Myth of Meritocracy (2016). Read the entries →
- Undercover reporting — Hired (2018) and Lost Boys (2025). Read the entries →
In What Order to Read James Bloodworth
His books are not a series. The Myth of Meritocracy makes the argument that Hired then tests on the ground, so they work well read one after the other.
A reading path
1. Hired (2018)
2. The Myth of Meritocracy (2016)
3. Lost Boys (2025)
Quick facts about James Bloodworth
- Nationality
- English
- Before the books
- Editor of the political website Left Foot Forward; columnist for International Business Times
- Writes for
- The Guardian, The Times, New Statesman, New York Review of Books and others
- Publisher
- Atlantic Books, for Hired and Lost Boys
- Recognition
- Hired was The Times' current affairs book of the year 2018 and longlisted for the Orwell Prize 2019
- Books
- 3, from The Myth of Meritocracy (2016) to Lost Boys (2025)
How James Bloodworth Writes: Living on the Wage
For Hired Bloodworth applied for jobs through the same agencies and apps as everyone else, and paid his rent and food from what he earned, so that the book is as much about the shared houses and towns he lived in as about the work.
He mixes his own shifts with the stories of the people he worked beside, and with the history of the places: Rugeley, where the Amazon warehouse stands on the site of an old coal mine, and the seaside towns whose industries had gone.
Frequently asked questions about James Bloodworth's books
How many books has James Bloodworth written?
James Bloodworth has published three books: The Myth of Meritocracy (2016), Hired: Six Months Undercover in Low-Wage Britain (2018) and Lost Boys: A Personal Journey Through the Manosphere (2025).
What jobs did James Bloodworth do in Hired?
He worked in an Amazon warehouse in Rugeley, Staffordshire, as a care worker in Blackpool, in an insurance call centre in Swansea and as an Uber driver in London.
What is Lost Boys by James Bloodworth about?
Lost Boys (2025) is about the manosphere, the online world of men's self-improvement, pick-up artistry and masculinity influencers, and about why it appeals to so many young men.
Did Hired win any awards?
The Times named Hired its current affairs book of the year for 2018, and it was longlisted for the Orwell Prize in 2019.
Footnotes
- James Bloodworth (journalist) — Wikipedia
- James Bloodworth — David Higham Associates
- Atlantic buys low-waged life account from Bloodworth — The Bookseller
Bibliography last verified 1 October 2026.
This list was not put together by a machine.
The notes are all mine,
and the books are all his.
Lisanne x
Written by Lisanne Swart, who has curated reading lists and author guides at lisanneswart.com since 2021.
See more on her personal bookshelf.
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