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

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Summary: No Biliography Abbreviated Footnotes
Review: Shame on Penguin and Mr. Ferguson for the paperback version which contains no bibliography and has abbreviated footnotes. Persons who buy paperbacks have as great a need for the appurtenances of scholarship as hardback buyers. Further it seems a travesty to publish a book with a revisionist flavor and leave out the underpinnings of the argument, a statement of sources. Not to mention splitting the book in two to gouge the US reader!

Rating:
Summary: The Wait Was Worthwhile
Review: Some years ago I read Corti's work from the 1750's through to the 1830's. I was hooked. Sadly, Cowle, Roth and Morton were disappointing. Niall's work has been a long time coming but the wait has been very worthwhile. A word of warning - I was fortunate to spot and purchase the entire book, right up to present times. Read the small print in 'Money's Prophets' and you will see that it is the first of two volumes. What the heck? For those who have to, the wait for volume II will again be worth it!

Rating:
Summary: Engaging and enlightening
Review: The House of Rothschild 1798-1848 covers a pivotal time in history. The Napoleonic Wars, rise of capitalism, the rise of multinational businesses, development of the railroad and the French Revolution. The Rothschild's had a front row seat to all of this and were the focus of some of it. From humble beginnings in the Frankfurt Jewish Ghetto, the rise of this family is chronicled through three generations. Many myths about the Rothschilds are laid to rest by Ferguson's groundbreaking research, much of it original scholarship. One of the main threads running through the book is that finance had a profound role in the ability of the rulers of Europe to do what they wanted. By 1825 the Rothschild had a significant role in sovereign finance. Many things were wished for by the various despots that ruled Europe at that time, but if the Rothschilds did not perceive that those wishes would lead to stabilization and peace it typically was not supported thereby making it difficult to realize. They did not support the despots with out reserve, but they knew that peace protected their interests. That perspective makes this book unique.
The Rothschild family business was a partnership that was constructed as the 2nd generation left Frankfurt for London, Paris, Vienna, and Naples. That the partnership should survive was the 1st generation's greatest desire and was respected (most of the time) by his descendants. The exchanges between the 5 houses make for fascinating reading and are reference extensively in the book.
The book details how the Rothschilds pushed for Jewish emancipation and equality and were resisted at every turn. That did not prevent them from receiving commendations from the various governments that the worked with. It did not prevent them from gaining entry to the most prestigious universities for their children. It did not prevent Lionel from gaining entry into the British Parliament without having to swear a Christian Oath. The Rothschilds achieved a great deal for themselves and for Judaism.
Intrigue, betrayal, revolution, and vignettes of famous people make this a very entertaining book, not merely a historic rendering of dates and places. From the beginning of the Rothschild climb to prominence with the Elector of Hesse-Kassel to the French Revolution in 1848, this book will engage the reader.

Rating:
Summary: The House of Rothschild
Review: This book is about the rise of the House of Rothschild but it is not written for the casual reader of history. This is written for the scholar whose subject matter is economic history. As that is not my field of study, I found the book boring in the extreme (it took me two months to wade through it). However, for the student of Jewish history, it does have some interesting ideas as to the origins of some of the Nazi propaganda.

Rating:
Summary: BORING
Review: This book is about the rise of the House of Rothschild but it is not written for the casual reader of history. This is written for the scholar whose subject matter is economic history. As that is not my field of study, I found the book boring in the extreme (it took me two months to wade through it). However, for the student of Jewish history, it does have some interesting ideas as to the origins of some of the Nazi propaganda.