Customer Reviews

The Rothschilds (Kodansha globe series)

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

 

 

There are very few families in history that have managed to maintain a tradition of excellence over several generations -- "Shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves in three generations" is the rule. The two notable exceptions to the rule are the Medici and the Rothschilds.

I purchased this book thinking that the author would provide some insight into how the Rothschilds achieved their long-standing record of success. Unfortunately, Mr. Morton is merely a sycophant, apparently incapable of providing the kind of detailed analysis the question calls for. Instead, he constantly marvels at how this family of rag merchants from Jew Street in Frankfurt ended up hobnobbing with the crowned heads of Europe. That is certainly an accomplishment of sorts, but absent any kind of descriptive analysis, it is little more than fodder for People magazine. Indeed, one can argue that the recent decline in the family's fortunes is due to their emulation of European aristocracy.

A far better book on the same topic is the two-volume set, "The House of Rothschild: Volume 1: Money's Prophets: 1798-1848 and The House of Rothschild: Volume 2: The World's Banker: 1849-1999. After reading Mr. Morton, it is both refreshing and illuminating.

The Rothschilds: Portrait of a Dynasty reads more like a novel than a biography, yet provides facinating information on the family from Mayer's founding of the family business/fortune through the 1960s. While the majority of the book was excellent, the epilogues meant to update the family's recent history were sparce and as a result, had a very different feel from the rest of the book, creating a slightly jarred feeling as you finish the book. Overall, a wonderful read.

Buried in this detailed narrative are colorful and interesting phrases like "In one day, he reduced the bank's gold reserves by almost 100,000 pounds." This deals with an enraged Nathan Rothschild almost sinking the Bank of England by cashing hundreds of small notes, because the bank would not cash his notes which would be, uh checks. Ok, confused? The whole book is like this. Dramatic stories covering Mayer Rothschild from a German Jewish ghetto creating success and amazing good fortune. Sons and strong family power continue the legacy-financing princes during war, to controlling Brazil. Accounts describing Napoleon to Hitler.
Counting houses and branches in England, Germany and throughout Europe. You want to read these stories but the script is flawed OR at the extreme height of high intellect. I think the former. I am employed in finance and banking-and I cannot follow the threads!
And yet there are descripive, powerful passages that keep you turning the pages. The fact that the House of Rothschild is credited to Mayer having sons, as Morton starts off, is a telling statment but he buries you in all these individual accounts as decades roll by and the dynasty becomes mythic. The pictorial section is wonderful and perhaps paints a clearer picture than the text of a book, whose paperback cover claims to be a "Number One Best Seller."

GREAT SELECTION OF MATERIAL. MANY TO CHOOSE FROM WITH VARIOUS DIFFERENCE OF THE FAMILY. LOOKED MANY PLACES FOR THIS MATERIAL. AMAZON HAD ALL I NEED.

Some of the writing with German slang and old English is annoying.
However, the heart of the story is fascinating. Not only the history of
the family's wealth but incredible subtle examples of early Anti-Semitism in Germany.
Recommended!

Frederic Morton's book "The Rothschilds Portrait of a Dynasty" is a must read for individuals who want to quickly ascertain how this enigmatic family became the patriarchs of the "New World Order."
The Rothschilds are rarely seen in the public eye and rarely make news headlines and yet they are the most powerful banking family in the world, but this didn't happen all of the sudden, and as Morton demonstrates this indeed was a long 200-year process. So, insofar as the Rothschilds are concerned, there's plenty more work to be done.

A case in point: According to Morton, Edmond de Rothschild, "was ... a backstage force in politics. He belonged to the steering committee of the secretive Bilderberg circle, an informal association of political and financial top brass that has sometimes been called more powerful than national governments." And he "was a major benefactor of Israel."

Please keep in mind that the Bilderberg Group is the most powerful think-tank in the world.
{For more information on the Bilderberg group please read Daniel Estulin's "The True Story of the Bilderberg Group" and Jim Tucker's "Bilderberg Diary"}

Furthermore, according to Morton's book, Mayer Amschel Rothschild's five sons plotted, schemed, and moved currency like no other. These five individuals learned what would become a valuable lesson in life as Mayer Amschel Bauer Rothschild boasted, "Give me control of a nation's money and I care not who makes it's laws."

During the Napoleonic Wars, the Rothschilds were geniuses when it came to espionage since they managed to steal Napoleon Bonaparte's contraband from the countries that he usurped. Subsequently they then sold the contraband right under Napoleon's nose, making an exorbitant profit, which allowed them to purchase most of Europe's currency, which in-turn paved the way for their economic hegemony of the whole European continent...the Battle of Waterloo was the tipping point.
Anyhow, this was a catastrophe for Napoleon Bonaparte because it left him flat broke and in dire-straights, which in-turn (prior to Waterloo) forced him to sell the Louisiana territory to Thomas Jefferson.

Also, Morton wrote that "Rothschild was now banker to empires and continents-to all the principal European countries, to Eurasian Russia, to the Americas, to the Indies." And "It has been estimated that the London house alone placed 6,500 million dollars' worth of foreign loans during the first ninety years of its existence." Moreover, the other Rothschild branches in Paris, Vienna, Frankfurt and Naples "were just as busy." Which unequivocally means, "Upon Rothschild vaults converged the credit of the Western World."
Moreover, Nathan Rothschild who was the banker of England during the Napoleonic Wars stated, "I care not what puppet is placed on the throne of England to rule the Empire, ... The man that controls Britain's money supply controls the British Empire. And I control the money supply.''
(This quote wasn't in Morton's book.)

Also, according to Morton for many years, Baron James de Rothschild ruled behind the French throne.

In a rancorous huff, Prince Metternich, Chancellor of Austria said, "The House of Rothschild plays a much bigger role in France than any foreign government...There are, of course, reasons for it, which seem to me neither good nor gratifying: money is the great [motivating] force of France, and corruption is quite openly reckoned with... Among us [in Austria] this commodity finds but few friends." Also keep in mind that the Rothschilds had complete control over Austria's banking system, which goes to show who was calling all the shots in the world of finance.

"The total wealth encompassed by the clan (Rothschilds) during most of the nineteenth century has been estimated at well over 400 million pounds (600 million dollars). No one else, from the Fuggers to the Rockefellers, has come even close to that hair-raising figure" according to Morton.

Moreover, the Rothschilds have successfully held on to their exorbitant wealth by intermarrying (a.k.a inbreeding), which is a fact when you research their family tree, which is printed in this book. Furthermore, even though they were persecuted because they're Jewish they managed to insinuate themselves into the ranks of European Nobility (a.k.a the Black Nobility) since they controlled nearly all of Europe's fiat currency. Besides, Baron Carl (Mezzuzah) Rothschild was the Vatican's banker, and while he was allowed to kiss the Pope's hand everyone else had to bow at his feet. The truth is that the Rothschilds treated the Vatican as if they were courting a woman... "Others must bend down to the Holy Father's toe, but Rothschild is given the finger." "The most interesting feature of the event in question (the kiss) was not the fact that Rothschild kissed something better and more expensive than common mortals could, but that the Rothschilds so honored was called Carl- a name hitherto not prominent among the stars of the Family." Which unequivocally proves that the Rothschilds had become the Medici equivalent of the modern area.

There is a plethora of history that is covered in this book, such as World War II when Hitler and the Nazis took on the Rothschilds. Also, Morton lists the many charitable organizations and corporations that the Rothschilds own such as Rothschild North America Inc, and Rothschild Investment Trust.

Keep in mind that Morton wrote a favorable historical view of the Rothschilds and he fawns over them continuously, but it doesn't detract from the information needed to ascertain how and why they now control the ethereal Illuminati. Plus I must add that this book doesn't cover everything, but it's a great book to start your research. This is a must read and please ignore the negative reviews. This book is a gem. All I can say is that the boys from Frankfurt Germany's Jew Street have made a comfortable racket for themselves.

A Five Star Read.

I enjoy some of the conspiracy theories involving the Rothschilds. Of course I stop well short of anti-Semitism. Just fun coffee shop conspiracy talk give me a break. I bought this book for a buck at a used book store hoping to find a little more dirt on the famous family. There was some dirt but it is glossed over with phrases like "but he was the black sheep of the family" and "a ruthless but brilliant business maneuver" etc. etc.
I am usually reading more challenging material so I was surprised how fast a read it was. There is important history here but it is so steeped in blatant flattery and celebrity worship that I felt a little ashamed for having read it - kind of like how one feels after watching Entertainment Tonight. Well that is an exaggeration. There has to be a better history of the Rothschild's out there but if you see this one for a dollar at a used bookstore I won't recommend against picking it up.

This is a very well written history of the Rothschilds. I recommend it for those interested in a strong overview of the family.

This book takes me back to a magical time, when sovereign finance held potentates at bay, and when bankers were literally masters of the universe. In the absence of universal taxation by governments, raising funds for war and peace is the sole, nearly impenetrable domain of the sovereign banker. To say that the historiography of finance capital, or more appropriately, 'haute banque' is much, much better than Lord of the Rings and Rowling's tomes would be an unforgivable travesty.