The House of Rothschild book 1

Founded in the late 18th century by expatriate German Jews, the London-based
House of Rothschild was within decades the largest banking enterprise in the
world. Its principals controlled a vast portion of the industrial world's
wealth--more so, Oxford historian Niall Ferguson writes, than any family has
since--and as a result enjoyed tremendous political influence in the major
capitals of Europe, counting as allies such important figures as Metternich
and Wellington. That influence would provoke countless anti-Semitic tracts
fulminating against Jewish usury and against the power of "Eastern potentates"
in the empires of England and France. Although the Rothschilds were well aware
of their power and not reluctant to use it, they operated fairly, Ferguson
notes. For example, whereas lending rates in the textile industry, in which
the Rothschilds got their start, were often 20 percent, the fledgling house
charged 5 to 9 percent. Through shrewd, complex negotiations they helped
promote peace and the beginnings of economic union throughout Europe.

Ferguson's sprawling history covers much ground and involves a cast of
hundreds of players. At the outset he notes that his book was commissioned
by the modern descendants of the House of Rothschild; even so, he approaches
his task with careful balance and a critical eye, pointing out the Rothschilds'
failings as well as successes. The result is a fine, solid contribution to
economic history, one that, unlike so many books in the field, is eminently
readable. --Gregory McNamee

In his rich and nuanced portrait of the remarkable, 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 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.

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