Author:Niall Ferguson
In this groundbreaking biography, based on more than 10,000 hitherto unavailable letters and diary entries, Niall Ferguson returns to his roots as a financial historian to tell the story of the extraordinary Siegmund Warburg.
A refugee from Hitler's Germany, Warburg rose to become the dominant figure in the post-war City of London and one of the architects of European financial integration. Seared by events in the 1930s, when the long-established Warburg bank was first almost destroyed by the Depression and then 'Aryanized' by the Nazis, Warburg was determined that his own bank would learn from the past and contribute to the economic recovery of Britain, the unity of Western Europe and the birth of globalization.
Siegmund Warburg was a complex and ambivalent man, as much a psychologist, politician and actor-manager as a banker. In High Financier Niall Ferguson reveals Warburg's idiosyncracies but above all he recaptures the meticulous business methods and strict ethical code that set Warburg apart from the mere speculators and traders who inhabit today's financial world.
Beautifully paced, dramatically subtle and psychologically shrewd, this is Ferguson at his finest
—— Peter Stormonth Darling , SpectatorFerguson is a talented writer, capable of grace and insight, but it is his ability as a historian that shows most strongly in High Financier
—— T. J. Stiles , The Washington Post SundayIts many finance lessons aside, High Financier is a pleasure to read simply as a work of literary skill. It is not only prodigiously researched but also splendidly written-clear and vivid and precise, perhaps even of enough merit to satisfy a word-stickler like Siegmund Warburg
—— Wall Street JournalA timely, original and engaging biography of Siegmund Warburg
—— Sathnam Sanghera , The TimesThis book is both a notable contribution to economic history and a fascinating portrait
—— Geoffrey Owen , TelegraphA studied, sustained attack on a market that has been mishandled by successive governments for 40 years, not because politicians have been unable to remedy it but because it has been expedient not to. It makes for painful - yet compelling - reading
—— Nathan Brooker , Financial TimesPowerfully written ... It's hard not to come away with a fresh sense of outrage
—— Matthew Partridge , MoneyweekCutting through the jargon and spin [Minton] argues that housing is a human right, not purely a financial asset, and offers clear-sighted solutions
—— Antonia Charlesworth , Big IssueBig Capital adds to what must be a commitment to change. It lays out clearly that the struggle for space will be at the top of the agenda within large cities
—— Lisa Mckenzie, Research Fellow in the Department of Sociology, London School of EconomicsDavid Enrich is a masterful story teller ... Michael Lewis has a new rival
—— Sheila Bair, former chair of the FDIC and president of Washington CollegeAn absorbing read that provides both a meticulous dissection of an immense scandal as well as a fascinating human story
—— Bethany McLean, bestselling author of THE SMARTEST GUYS IN THE ROOM: THE AMAZING RISE AND SCANDALOUS FALL OF ENRONFor years, David Enrich has chased down the inside story of one the biggest financial frauds in history and was even threatened with jail by a British court if he printed what he knew. Now, in his blockbuster book The Spider Network, all of the secrets come spilling out…With an unerring eye for detail, Enrich shows in this masterful work how a toxic stew of greed, arrogance and a lust for power led to a criminal scheme of unparalleled dimensions. It should be required reading for anyone who wants to understand the dirty underbelly of the financial world.
—— Kurt Eichenwald, Pulitzer Prize winning author of THE INFORMANTThis dwarfs by orders of magnitude any financial scams in the history of markets.
—— Andrew Lo, Professor of Finance at MITIn the hands of journalist David Enrich, the true tale of former UBS and Citigroup trader Tom Hayes becomes a page-turning crime drama that engages – and educates – readers from beginning to end.
—— The Charlotte ObserverA gripping narrative ... impressive reporting and writing chops are on full display ... reads like a fast-paced John le Carré thriller, and never lets up
—— New York Times book reviewa feat of reporting, and much of it reads like a novel
—— Leigh Gallagher , Washington Posta remarkable read
—— John Arlidge , Sunday Timesjaw-dropping
—— Financial Timesa gripping financial thriller
—— Daily MailWell worth the read. I couldn’t put it down
—— Investing.com A potent book... an incisive social critique that slices through financial jargon and gobbledygook to accurately map the all-too-common corruption in America’s hedge funds that are sucking up billions and billions that used to be invested for the growth and benefit of society as a whole in building infrastructure, expanding existing and new businesses and creating jobs
An utterly absorbing look at how Cohen pushed his traders to the limit—that “black edge”—and how he mostly insulated himself from the potential ramifications. This fast-paced, true-life thriller will leave readers enraptured—and troubled