The House of Rothschild: Money's Prophets 1798-1848

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High Time - high style, high jinx. My kind of novel - intelligent escapism at its most satisfying' - Gyles Brandreth

The result is compelling reading, driven by the desire to know what happens next and along the way there are some hearty laughs at people's terrible behaviour.' Daphne Guinness, The Sydney Morning Herald it was always a weakness of the conservative argument against higher taxation that in general private charitability at the turn of the century tended to fall short of the traditional 10 per cent" (p. 276)This is wonderful book which should be read by anyone interested in the history of France, England, and Germany. Several shortcomings of this book however should be noted. Niall Ferguson is an Oxford history professor who mistakenly believes that his rudimentary knowledge of finance also includes a basic understanding of the theory of financial markets. It does not which results in Ferguson arriving at some quite laughable conclusions. The madcap nature of the story; the clichés, and clever way they are rendered, make this a thoroughly enjoyable read - or, to use the correct terminology, a jolly good show. Yet the larger issues this satire plays on are equally fascinating.' Niamh Donnelly The Irish Times Highlight of my holiday reading was a proof of Hannah Rothschild's fabulous forthcoming House of Trelawney. It's even funnier, more moving and more ingenuously plotted than her brilliant Improbability of Love and that is saying something. Completely delicious.'

This is a sprawling, fascinating, deep and finally difficult work of history, one that offers an original glance at the 19th century through the eyes of the family that financed much of it. Now, with all the depth, clarity and drama with which he traced their ascent, Ferguson - the first historian with access to the long-lost Rothschild family archives - concludes his myth-breaking portrait of once of the most fascinating and power families of all time. Novel of the week . It all adds up to an ingenious meditation on the true value of art - timely indeed at a moment when paintings and sculpture seem to have become just another currency.' Once you leave that question and the vagaries of bond finance aside, the book becomes lot more interesting for the lay reader with fascinating descriptions of their family affairs, their dealings with polity, kings, ministers and aristocrats and other banks. Also fascinating is their assimilation into national behaviour of typical of their class, such as engagement in horse racing and hunting and building of fabulous houses and gardens. There are few poignant stories like Amschel’s fascination for a beautiful tiny garden after a child and youth spent in the Jewish ghetto.Lillian Pizzichini applauds the swinging life of a bebop Bolter' '… absorbing. Nica's self-styled mission was to care for these fragile creatures with the resolve of her immigrant forebears and the love and empathy she passed on to her great-niece' Sunday Telegraph 'It's a gripping yarn that more than proves that life is stranger than fiction.' The Literary Review

High Time is a manically and magical wonderful romp, fast and furious in pace, style and extravagance' - Geordie GreigAlso a senior Rothschild in 1870 after Germany defeated France had the remarkable intuition that if reparations/peace terms were too harsh it would be bad for Europe's economy overall and could threaten stability -- an observation long predating John Maynard Keynes's observation on the Treaty of Versailles. But this story (which could also be told as a perfect rags-to-riches fairy tale) is actually true, and it is told in compelling and exhaustive detail by Niall Ferguson in this volume and its sequel. A stupendous achievement, a triumph of historical research and imagination.”—Robert Skidelsky, The New York Review of Books

Let's look at the good side. Ferguson notes that the bonds issued by the Rothschilds would almost invariably rise and settle well above their initial strike price. Ferguson concludes correctly that this pattern was a clear sign of superior management. Indeed the Rothschilds chose their projects carefully. They underwrote responsibly which meant that their clients did not bankrupt themselves trying to pay debt beyond their resources but rather became richer because their borrowing costs were in proportion to their ability to pay. This volume goes into even more detail than the first. It basically continues like that until the beginning of World War I, and sort of during the inter-war period, but then skims through the final decades. This was a bit disappointing to me, since I was curious to know more about recent years (at least until the 90s, since the book was written in 2000), and I got the impression he did this so as not to offend any members of the family who are currently alive, which doesn't make me feel good about the rest of the book. THE IMPROBABILITY OF LOVE is a romp, a joy, and an inspired feast of clever delights. Reading this book is like a raid on a high-end pastry shop ‹ you marvel at the expertise and cunning of the creations, while never wanting the deliciousness to end." ­ ELIZABETH GILBERTWhen a political documentary works ­The War Room for example ­ it channels the adrenalin which addicts politicians and the sheer thrill of the pure political animal. Hannah Rothschild¹s documentary for BBC¹s Storyville strand is an extraordinary portrait of Britain¹s Peter Mandelson in the run-up to this May¹s general election. Hannah Rothschild¹s documentary has the potential to attract wider audiences than the Westminster village despite its narrow UK focus and sits comfortably in the Storyville roster of excellence (Hoop Dreams, Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired).' Finn Haligan, Screen International Nathaniel and his brothers leave the Frankfurt ghetto as the French Revolution is getting underway. Nathaniel goes to London and proceeds to revolutionize financial markets and through daring, cunning, risk-taking, mathematical acumen, and pure viciousness dominate financial markets. The Rothschilds understand markets on a level which is distinctly modern. Concepts that we consider basic, like hedging and arbitrage, they invent to dominate the financial landscape of the Napoleonic Wars and the 19th century. It's a beautiful thing.