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Lords of Finance
- The Bankers Who Broke the World
- Narrated by: Stephen Hoye
- Length: 18 hrs and 32 mins
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Publisher's summary
Pulitzer Prize, History, 2010
It is commonly believed that the Great Depression that began in 1929 resulted from a confluence of events beyond any one person's or government's control. In fact, as Liaquat Ahamed reveals, it was the decisions made by a small number of central bankers that were the primary cause of the economic meltdown, the effects of which set the stage for World War II and reverberated for decades.In Lords of Finance, we meet the neurotic and enigmatic Montagu Norman of the Bank of England, the xenophobic and suspicious Émile Moreau of the Banque de France, the arrogant yet brilliant Hjalmar Schacht of the Reichsbank, and Benjamin Strong of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, whose facade of energy and drive masked a deeply wounded and overburdened man.
After the First World War, these central bankers attempted to reconstruct the world of international finance. Despite their differences, they were united by a common fear - that the greatest threat to capitalism was inflation - and by a common vision that the solution was to turn back the clock and return the world to the gold standard. For a brief period in the mid-1920s, they appeared to have succeeded. The world's currencies were stabilized, and capital began flowing freely across the globe. But beneath the veneer of boomtown prosperity, cracks started to appear in the financial system. The gold standard that all had believed would provide an umbrella of stability proved to be a straitjacket, and the world economy began that terrible downward spiral known as the Great Depression.
As yet another period of economic turmoil makes headlines today, the Great Depression and the year 1929 remain the benchmark for true financial mayhem. Offering a new understanding of the global nature of financial crises, Lords of Finance is a reminder of the enormous impact that the decisions of central bankers can have, of their fallibility, and of the terrible human consequences that can result when they are wrong.
Critic reviews
"Erudite, entertaining macroeconomic history of the lead-up to the Great Depression as seen through the careers of the West's principal bankers....Spellbinding, insightful and, perhaps most important, timely." ( Kirkus Reviews)
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Such enthralling true information
- By Joe Leiman on 12-24-18
By: Adam LeBor
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The Money Makers
- How Roosevelt and Keynes Ended the Depression, Defeated Fascism, and Secured a Prosperous Peace
- By: Eric Rauchway
- Narrated by: Walter Dixon
- Length: 10 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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Shortly after arriving in the White House in early 1933, Franklin Roosevelt took the United States off the gold standard. His opponents thought his decision unwise at best and ruinous at worst. But they could not have been more wrong. With The Money Makers, Eric Rauchway tells the absorbing story of how FDR and his advisors pulled the levers of monetary policy to save the domestic economy and propel the United States to unprecedented prosperity and superpower status.
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Excellent over view and easily understandable
- By L. Ford Ballard, Jr. on 01-15-19
By: Eric Rauchway
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The Downfall of Money
- Germany’s Hyperinflation and the Destruction of the Middle Class
- By: Frederick Taylor
- Narrated by: Mark Ashby
- Length: 12 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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Performance
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A hundred years ago, many theorists believed - just as they did at the beginning of our 21st century - that the world had reached a state of economic perfection, a never-before-seen human interdependence that would lead to universal growth and prosperity. Then, as now, the German mark was one of the most trusted currencies in the world. Yet the early years of the Weimar Republic in Germany witnessed the most calamitous meltdown of a developed economy in modern times.
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Highly recommended story of German hyperinflation
- By Lance on 09-21-15
By: Frederick Taylor
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Grand Pursuit
- The Story of Economic Genius
- By: Sylvia Nasar
- Narrated by: John Bedford Lloyd, Anne Twomey
- Length: 20 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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In a sweeping narrative, the author of the mega-bestseller A Beautiful Mind takes us on a journey through modern history with the men and women who changed the lives of every single person on the planet. It’s the epic story of the making of modern economics, and of how it rescued mankind from squalor and deprivation by placing its material fate in its own hands rather than in Fate. Nasar’s account begins with Charles Dickens and Henry Mayhew observing and publishing the condition of the poor majority in mid nineteenth-century London, the richest and most glittering place in the world.
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A Beautiful Grand Pursuit
- By Joshua Kim on 05-06-12
By: Sylvia Nasar
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Volcker
- The Triumph of Persistence
- By: William L. Silber
- Narrated by: Ross Douglas
- Length: 9 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Over the course of nearly half a century, five American presidents - three Democrats and two Republicans - have relied on the financial acumen, and the integrity, of Paul A. Volcker. During his tenure as chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, when he battled the Great Inflation of the 1970s, Volcker did nothing less than restore the reputation of an American financial system on the verge of collapse.
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Required Reading for 2022 Economy
- By Marc Uknis on 11-19-22
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Hoover
- An Extraordinary Life in Extraordinary Times
- By: Kenneth Whyte
- Narrated by: Richard Ferrone
- Length: 27 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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The definitive biography of Herbert Hoover, one of the most remarkable Americans of the 20th century - a revisionist account that will forever change the way Americans understand the man, his presidency, and his battle against the Great Depression. A poor orphan who built a fortune, a great humanitarian, a president elected in a landslide and then routed in the next election, arguably the father of both New Deal liberalism and modern conservatism - Herbert Hoover is also one of our least understood presidents.
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What a fascinating story!
- By Dan Ryan on 11-18-17
By: Kenneth Whyte
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All the Presidents' Bankers
- The Hidden Alliances That Drive American Power
- By: Nomi Prins
- Narrated by: Marguerite Gavin
- Length: 19 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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Story
Nomi Prins ushers us into the intimate world of exclusive clubs, vacation spots, and Ivy League universities that binds presidents and financiers. She unravels the multi-generational blood, intermarriage, and protégé relationships that have confined national influence to a privileged cluster of people. This unprecedented history of American power illuminates how financiers have retained their authoritative position through history, swaying presidents regardless of party affiliation.
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You better like history about the elite and rich
- By Victor on 01-12-15
By: Nomi Prins
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The Battle of Bretton Woods
- John Maynard Keynes, Harry Dexter White, and the Making of a New World Order
- By: Benn Steil
- Narrated by: Philip Rose
- Length: 15 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
When turmoil strikes world monetary and financial markets, leaders invariably call for "a new Bretton Woods" to prevent catastrophic economic disorder and defuse political conflict. The name of the remote New Hampshire town where representatives of 44 nations gathered in July 1944, in the midst of the century's second great war, has become shorthand for enlightened globalization.
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Is this a mystery, a history or an economics book?
- By Neil on 04-23-13
By: Benn Steil
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The New Deal
- A Modern History
- By: Michael Hiltzik
- Narrated by: Traber Burns
- Length: 19 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Story
As America struggles with an economic debacle akin to the Great Depression, nothing could be timelier than an authoritative account of the New Deal, masterfully written by Michael Hiltzik, author of the acclaimed history of the Hoover Dam, Colossus.
In this richly peopled, vividly rendered narrative, Hiltzik describes how the urgent short-term relief measures of Franklin Roosevelt’s Hundred Days evolved into a transformative concept of the federal role in American life.
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Another Excellent New Deal History
- By R.S. on 12-19-11
By: Michael Hiltzik
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The Oligarchs
- Wealth and Power in the New Russia
- By: David Hoffman
- Narrated by: Steve Coulter
- Length: 22 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
A brilliant investigative narrative: How six average Soviet men rose to the pinnacle of Russia's battered economy. David Hoffman, former Moscow bureau chief for
The Washington Post, sheds light onto the hidden lives of Russia's most feared power brokers: the oligarchs. Focusing on six of these ruthless men Hoffman reveals how a few players managed to take over Russia's cash-strapped economy and then divvy it up in loans-for-shares deals.
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Supreme Chronicle of Murky Times
- By ivan on 03-01-14
By: David Hoffman
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The Forgotten Man
- By: Amity Shlaes
- Narrated by: Terence Aselford
- Length: 14 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
It's difficult today to imagine how America survived the Great Depression. Only through the stories of the common people who struggled during that era can we really understand how the nation endured. In The Forgotten Man, Amity Shlaes offers a striking reinterpretation of the Great Depression. Rejecting the old emphasis on the New Deal, she turns to the neglected and moving stories of individual Americans, and shows how they helped establish the steadfast character we developed as a nation.
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a story of forgotten times
- By Debb Robinson on 10-11-07
By: Amity Shlaes
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The Money Men
- Capitalism, Democracy, and the Hundred Years' War over the American Dollar
- By: H. W. Brands
- Narrated by: Lloyd James
- Length: 5 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
A best-selling historian's gripping account of the powerful men who controlled America's financial destiny. From the first days of the United States, a battle raged over money. On one side were the democrats, who wanted cheap money and feared the concentration of financial interests in the hands of a few. On the other were the capitalists who sought the soundness of a national bank and the profits that came with it.
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Not clear what this book is really about
- By Chris on 07-03-08
By: H. W. Brands
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The House of Rothschild, Volume 1
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Great research, poor narrative
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What listeners say about Lords of Finance
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
- Toru
- 11-27-09
interesting insight into interwar period!
longish, but engaging historical narrative! related to you through mini-biographies of the main players of the time. easy to understand too, although due to its approach to the story (economics/finance), you might have to rewind sometimes to get the more technical aspects of his sweeping narrative. but highly recommended if you're looking to learn a thing or two about the Great Depression and some perspective on its connections to our current global economic crisis.
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24 people found this helpful
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Overall
- sho2014
- 05-10-09
history textbook and biography rolled into 1
This book is basically a history textbook, a few chapters of a macroeconomics textbook, and 4 biographies rolled into 1.
It spends more time talking about politics and the outward appearances of the characters rather than getting to the punchline. It's very long and long winded.
The book covers 1914 to 1944. It goes through and attempts to link together the policies, events, and mistakes throughout the time frame. It covers WW2, Gold Standard, etc.
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24 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Nostromo
- 02-20-10
Extremely Interesting Book
As has been discussed in prior reviews, this book focuses on the Great Depression and the events leading up to it beginning with the pre World War One period. While any of book of this sort will focus on economics, this one portrays the events through the biographies of the four central bankers of England (Montagu Norman), France (Emile Moreau), US (Benajmin Strong)and Germany (Hjalmar Schact) as well as other individuals who participated in the spectacle (John Maynard Keynes). The author does a great job in sketching portraits of each man. The book is extremely well written and read and merits the acclaim that it has received (Financial Times Award among others). What I found to be extremely interesting is the eiplogue in which the author takes the thesis of the book and tries to compare and contrast it to more recent events (such as the financial crisis in Mexico in the early 1990's followed by the Russian and Emerging Markets fiasco in the late 1990's and even the financial crisis in 2008) and how the modern era central bankers took affirmative action to avoid a replay of the Great Depression.
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23 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Jon
- 04-21-10
Great Narration
I thought this was a very well researched book, and it gives an interesting picture of what was going on with the global economy, mostly starting with WWI and leading up into the great depression. It's main focus is on the gold standard.
I was really impressed by the narrator of this book - he really understood the material, and was able to do the accents of different characters in the book without making it too obtrusive. It's a long book but I think it could have seemed even longer without a good narrator. It was done very well.
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18 people found this helpful
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Overall
- peter
- 12-10-10
Turning Hemp into Silk
I had never heard of this author but this is quite an achievement. To read every minute of 4 central bankers' meetings over several decades must require intense discipline; to turn that into a readable, fascinating and clearly written book is a rare talent. How many of us can find Federal Reserve Bank Chairmen and Governors of the Bank of England remotely attractive characters? The true life stories of these people bring their personalities and characters into colored relief. This book is a treatise on Monetary Economics at the same time.
The reader is good, even if his tendency to linger lovingly on the last syllable can become tiresome during a long session. I'd have given 4 1/2 Stars, reserving the '5 Star' accolade for a book yet to be read!
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12 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Meep
- 05-08-10
Wonderful
This book is brilliant. It makes its vast scope coherent, explains the complex issues involved clearly, retains detail and personal interest to make the story riveting from both a macro and micro level. The reader has the two most important attributes of a reader-his voice does not grate and HE KNOWS HIS MATERIAL. Can not recommend this book too highly.
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10 people found this helpful
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- Geraldine
- 03-12-10
A Financial Reflection
This book was very informative as well as enjoyable. It was interesting to see how four major countries (and their financial bankers) brought the world to their financial knees during the Great Depression. I could identify because there are parallels to what is happening today. I was compelled to keep listening. After I read Ben Bernake's comments in Time Magazine regarding the book's merit,I appreciated its value even more. This is an informative account of the characters who played major roles in the Great Depression told within a historical perspective. A great read.
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9 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Randy Stanfield
- 09-09-10
A must read if interested in financial history
This is a great book for understanding the history and workings of markets and central banks. It is not a light listen but if you pay attention, you will gain an understanding of how government central banks can influence modern economies and markets. This book helps to explain how the reactions of the central bankers of the US, Britain, France and Germany to the economic challenges faced at the end of WWI led to financial chaos which made possible the rise of radical elements in Germany. The author does this by going into extensive detail of each of the central bankers. This makes the story much more personable and a bit less esoteric--no small feat when considering the topic.
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7 people found this helpful
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- emilio squillante
- 04-07-16
You know squat re what caused the Great Depression
What did you love best about Lords of Finance?
Opened my eyes the way the media should have been didn't. Not even close. Irregardless of your background/interests you cannot read this book without becoming emotional.
What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?
Spoiler alert: it wasn't the stock market crashing that caused the Great Depression. Yoiks! Talk about history repeating itself. I have no background in finance or economics but do now: after reading Sylvia Nassar's "Grand Pursuit" (good beginning and end but my interest waned in mid to last quarter) followed by LoF (preferred LoF much more) I feel entitled to an opinion on the feckless leadership between Wilson and Truman administrations. High school, college students and people I regard as literate are oblivious to the post WWI flight of gold from the Bank of New York to the Exchequer, an unbelievable racking up of bad loans to prop Britain's pound by that axis of evil Montagu Norman and Strong, may they burn forever (when you read this book I dare you to remain non-judgemental). Citizens will find this remarkable given that recent bad bit of luck in the subprimes, AG and S sleepwalking all the while despite poor B. Bourne banging the alarm. Funny, nobody went to jail in either depression. Maybe you should read this book and do your part to prevent the next humiliating repetition?
Which scene was your favorite?
Can finance be fascinating? Yes! Both the author and narrator pulled this rabbit out of a hat. Most commendable.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
Some facts were incredulous but the narrator maintained equanimity and balance. How did you muster self control? It's okay to react when people do foolish things. Let yourself go.
Any additional comments?
Can you write another book about another boring subject I know nothing about? I can't believe how interesting and dastardly people who were "looking out for us" were NOT. I'll unhesitatingly buy it.
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- Dale Hartt
- 09-19-20
Unfair assessment of the gold standard.
interesting subject matter, written in an entertaining manner, but the author has a negative opinion of the gold standard shining through. his opinion bias spreads throughout the book. The gold standard in my opinion is a long-term solution that limits governments from taking advantage of Fiat currencies. I don't believe governments capable of taking their foot off the proverbial gas in the good times, therefore leaving us unprepared for the bad times. Gold creates a standard of value for our currency not determined by the government. For a much more eloquent argument, look at the work of Ron Paul. Thanks.
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4 people found this helpful