The House of Rothschild: The World's Banker, 1849-1999

by Ferguson, Niall

• ISBN13: 9780670887941
• ISBN10: 0670887943
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1999-11-01
• Publisher: Viking Adult

Summary

Niall Ferguson's House of Rothschild: Money's Prophets 1798-1848 was hailed as "definitive" by the New York Times, a "great biography" by Time magazine, and was named one of the Ten Best Books of 1998 by Business Week. Now, Ferguson concludes his myth-breaking portrait of one of the most powerful families of modern times at the zenith of its power.

From Crimea to World War II, wars repeatedly threatened the stability of the Rothschild's worldwide empire. Despite these upheavals, theirs remained the biggest bank in the world up until the First World War. Yet the Rothschild's failure to establish themselves successfully in the United States proved fateful, and as financial power shifted from London to New York after 1914, their power waned. At once a classic family saga and major work of economic, social and political history, The House of Rothschild is the riveting story of an unparalleled dynasty.

Author Biography

Born in Glasgow in 1964, Niall Ferguson is Fellow and Tutor of Modern History at Jesus College, Oxford, as well as a political commentator and author.

Table of Contents

Illustrations in the text	xi
Tables	xiii
Acknowledgements	xv
Family tree	xvi
Preface	xxi
I ∼ Uncles and Nephews
Charlotte's Dream (1849--1858)	3	(47)
The Orthodox and the Reformed
Lionel Stands
Disraeli
Parliament and Peers
``A Real Triumph''
Cambridge
Great Exhibitions and Crystal Palaces
The Era of Mobility (1849--1858)	50	(40)
Two Emperors
The Credit Mobilier
The Gold Rush
Public Finance and the Crimean War
The Counter-Attack
Nationalism and the Multinational (1859--1863)	90	(30)
The Finances of ``Unification''
From Turin to Zaragoza
Napoleon at Ferrieres
The Roots of British Neutrality
The American Wars
Blood and Silver (1863--1867)	120	(34)
German Unification: The Financial Background
Dress Rehersal: Poland
Schleswig-Holstein
Privatisation and Diplomacy
A Meeting at Biarritz
The Road to Koniggratz
Silver Linings
Bonds and Iron (1867--1870)	154	(35)
Latin Illusions
The Isolation of Austria-Hungary
The Economic Origins of the German Reich
The Russian Option
II ∼ Cousins
Reich, Republic, Rentes (1870--1873)	189	(31)
Bismarck at Ferrieres
``Le Pivot d'une Combinaison'': Reparations
Soll und Haben
``The Caucasian Royal Family''	220	(37)
The Fourth Generation
Partners
Peers and Peerages
Jewish Questions	257	(27)
Anti-Semitism
Responses
``On the Side of Imperialism'' (1874--1885)	284	(34)
The Financial Politics of Empire: Egypt
Another Eastern Question
From Investment to Invasion
Party Politics	318	(21)
From Gladstone to Disraeli
Politics in ``Bucks''
Unionism
Churchill and Rosebery
Conservatism in France
The Risks and Returns of Empire (1885--1902)	339	(30)
The Risks of Informal Empire: The Barings Crisis
``Staunch Monometallists''
An Empire Underground
Rhodes and the Rothschilds
The Pitfalls of Formal Empire: The Boer War
Finances and Alliances (1885--1906)	369	(42)
Wars not Fought
The Franco-Russian Entente
Italy
Anglo-German Amity
The Rationale of the Entente
The Anglo-Russian Antagonism
Austria
The Military-Financial Complex (1906--1914)	411	(30)
``Too Much Lord Rothschild''
``Hatred Let Loose''
III ∼ Descendants
Deluges (1915--1945)	441	(38)
The Fifth Generation
The Impact of War
``Dear Lord Rothschild'': The Balfour Declaration
The Doldrums
The Crash
The Flood
EPILOGUE	479	(24)
Continuation
The N. M. Rothschild Group
Appendix 1: Exchange Rates	503	(2)
Appendix 2: Selected Financial Statistics	505	(5)
Notes	510	(17)
Index	527