Customer Reviews

House of Rothschild: The World's Banker 1848-1999

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

let me begin by saying that i am not in the habit of handing out five stars in my reviews, but this fine book certainly deserves it. i am not quite sure what to make of some of the criticisms leveled at this book in the reviews until now--too many facts, overly exhaustive, too much about continental finances or politics? can a definitive work of non-fiction have too many facts or be too exhaustive? what meaning do the rothschilds have if not in the context of continental politics. i loved every one of those three qualities about this book and, to boot, though it was appallingly well written as well. i found ferguson exhiliratingly (is this an adverb? it ought to be one) willing to assume that i could assimilate mass amounts of data, only sometimes arcane, and still want to follow a linear, only sometimes, social history--that's what definitive works are all about, i think. i applaud ferguson's not dumbing down history. and perhaps that is the difference between those who very much this book and those who didn't. i wanted to read history, and got it; others, perhaps, wanted to read a good yarn and didn't.

A very complete book, a mine of facts but the author was unable to sort what is important from miscellaneous. The mix of general european history, business history and family events is by moments as indigestible as porridge por a non-scot.

Ferguson insults the purchaser of the Penguin Paperback by omitting the bibliography and only providing sketchy footnotes. "Serious scholars" who desire these items are advised to buy the Harcover edition. Other than that, it is a good read

This thorough, long, and orderly history of the Rothschild banking dynasty is a deeply traditional business history text. It's full of coherent details, narrated clearly. There are thousands of footnotes, and a huge bibliography. As reference material, I'm sure it's flawless. It's obvious that the author accomplished his goal. But I wished for one meal described, one suit of clothes worn, one grand (or not-so-grand) apartment described. Alas, none of this is included in this story. Pitifully few tidbits flesh out this text. It's business history set against a background of world history, but neither the motivations nor the humanness of the Rothschilds is part of the picture. Ultimately, it disappoints.

The book had many facts and details that broke up the pace of the book for me. The author appears to be the first writer who has gained access to much of the Rothchild's historical records. He then has so many facts that any future writer of this family will have to footnote him till their big toe hurts. I have found Ron Chernow books well documented and that they read like a novel rather than a High School text book.

The second volume of the family saga is not as compelling as the first. Perhaps that is due to the length of time covered, or perhaps due to the relative decline of the Rothschilds in the world of finance. Still, this is a compelling story, which is skillfully narrated by Mr.Ferguson

We may bump into the Rothschild family in reading about European, British, American, Jewish, or Israeli history. These well written volumes give us the full history of the family and the context of its endevors. Some of the financial details didn't resonate with me and may have been too extensive.

The Rothschilds made their fortune in government bonds and helping to finance the development of railways and a few other industries. I am left wondering why the family has been made the prime target of so many European anti-Semites. Perhaps without intention Niall Ferguson has made the founding ideologues of anti-Semitism look downright silly.

I agree with one of the critics that the book had many facts and details that broke up the pace of the book for me. Ferguson presumes that the reader knows a fair amount about bonds, consuls and other financial mechanisms. He would have done well to slow down a bit and explain a few of the terms and concepts. And I think that Ferguson tells an utterly superficial and innocuous history of the Family. Long awkward sentences make for labored reading. That having been said, this was no doubt a delicate and ambitious undertaking.

After reading the numerous glowing reviews I thought I would enter a story about a fascinating family during a turbulent period in history. Instead I felt as though I was reading a financial piece. Too much detail. I kept looking for the book to breakout and read like the reviews.It is rare that I do not finish a book but after 220 pages I gave up.

The last two chapters of this book zing along like the first part, "Money's Prophets." That volume was fascinating for the way it made financial history a story of personalities and social trends. This volume gets bogged down in the middle in British political history. You learn in excruciating detail about the Rothschild's involvement with Liberal and Tory politicians. But their social role gets buried.