The first authoritative and compulsively readable history of the rise of this legendary banking dynasty
In his rich and nuanced portrait of the remark- able, elusive Rothschild family, Oxford scholar and bestselling author Niall Ferguson uncovers the secrets behind the family's phenomenal economic success. He reveals for the first time the details of the family's vast political network, which gave it access to and influence over many of the greatest statesmen of the age. And he tells a family saga, tracing the importance of family unity and the profound role of Judaism in the lives of a dynasty that rose from the confines of the Frankfurt ghetto and later used its influence to assist oppressed Jews throughout Europe. A definitive work of impeccable scholarship with a thoroughly engaging narrative, The House of Rothschild is a biography of the rarest kind, in which mysterious and fascinating historical figures finally spring to life.
"A great biography." --Time magazine
"Absorbing. . . .Their enthralling story has been told before, but never in such authoritative detail." --The New York Times Book Review
"Niall Ferguson's rich and compelling new book . . . is a feast." --The Wall Street Journal
* Chosen by Business Week as one of the Best Business Books of 1998
* A finalist for the National Jewish Book Award
编辑推荐
Founded in the late 18th century by expatriate German Jews,the London-based House of Rothschild was within decades the largestbanking enterprise in the world. Its principals controlled a vastportion of the industrial world's wealth--more so, Oxford historianNiallFerguson writes, than any family has since--and as a resultenjoyed tremendous political influence in the major capitals ofEurope, counting as allies such important figures as Metternich andWellington. That influence would provoke countless anti-Semitic tractsfulminating against Jewish usury and against the power of "Easternpotentates" in the empires of England and France. Although theRothschilds were well aware of their power and not reluctant to useit, they operated fairly, Ferguson notes. For example, whereas lendingrates in the textile industry, in which the Rothschilds got theirstart, were often 20 percent, the fledgling house charged 5 to 9percent. Through shrewd, complex negotiations they helped promotepeace and the beginnings of economic union throughout Europe.Ferguson's sprawling history covers much ground and involves a cast ofhundreds of players. At the outset he notes that his book wascommissioned by the modern descendants of the House of Rothschild;even so, he approaches his task with careful balance and a criticaleye, pointing out the Rothschilds' failings as well as successes. Theresult is a fine, solid contribution to economic history, one that,unlike so many books in the field, is eminently readable. --GregoryMcNamee
作者简介
Niall Ferguson is Fellow and Tutor in Modern History at Jesus College, Oxford, as well as a prolific political commentator and author. His previous publications include the bestselling book Virtual History: Alternatives and Counterfactuals and The Pity of War.
| 出版社 | Penguin |
|---|---|
| 作者 | Niall Ferguson |