1929

Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History--and How It Shattered a Nation

By: Andrew Ross Sorkin

Narrated by: Andrew Ross Sorkin

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

“It is one of the best narrative histories I’ve read.”
—The Wall Street Journal

A New York Times Notable Book of 2025 • One of Barack Obama's Favorite Books of 2025 • Named a BEST BOOK OF 2025 by The Washington Post, TIME, The Economist, Air Mail, Bloomberg, Fast Company, Katie Couric Media, and History

From the bestselling author of Too Big to Fail, “the definitive history of the 2008 banking crisis,” (The Atlantic) comes a riveting narrative of the most infamous stock market crash in history—one with ripple effects that still shape our society today.

In 1929, the world watched in shock as the unstoppable Wall Street bull market went into a freefall, wiping out fortunes and igniting a depression that would reshape a generation. But behind the flashing ticker tapes and panicked traders, another drama unfolded—one of visionaries and fraudsters, titans and dreamers, euphoria and ruin.

With unparalleled access to historical records and newly uncovered documents, New York Times bestselling author Andrew Ross Sorkin takes readers inside the chaos of the crash, behind the scenes of a raging battle between Wall Street and Washington and the larger-than-life characters whose ambition and naïveté in an endless boom led to disaster. The dizzying highs and brutal lows of this era eerily mirror today’s world—where markets soar, political tensions mount, and the fight over financial influence plays out once again.

This is not just a story about money. 1929 is a tale of power, psychology, and the seductive illusion that this time is different. It’s about disregarded alarm bells, financiers who fell from grace, and skeptics who saw the crash coming—only to be dismissed until it was too late.

Hailed as a landmark book, Too Big to Fail reimagined how financial crises are told. Now, with 1929, Sorkin delivers an immersive, electrifying account of the most pivotal market collapse of all time—with lessons that remain as urgent as ever. More than just a history, 1929 is a crucial blueprint for understanding the cycles of speculation, the forces that drive financial upheaval, and the warning signs we ignore at our peril.

Riveting

I decided to purchase the book after a fifth or sixth comment by people whose opinion I value mentioned the quality of the writing and how absorbing the book is - and indeed it reads like a novel, but the it’s well researched history and the relevance to our time is mind blowing. I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to understand what is going on today as history that repeats itself with some variation.

Timely

Well told history of the critical year of the great crash with valuable follow up leading to the Great Depression. Would have liked more discussion of link between the stock market and the broad economy.
Pet peeve against authors narrating their own books. Sorkin did fine, but not well enough to overcome my prejudice.

Book quality.

Kind of drops off toward the end. Needed more content, say another year of content and research.

1929

Very good inside of the fall Wall Street back in 1929. The money was so big.

1929 - Somethings never change

Andrew Ross Sorkin has written an awesome comprehensive book about a bad time in America. Informative, provocative and illuminating. Thoroughly enjoyed the book.