Tower of Basel

The Shadowy History of the Secret Bank that Runs the World

By: Adam LeBor

Narrated by: John Mawson

Length: 10 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's summary

Tower of Basel is the first investigative history of the world’s most secretive global financial institution. Based on extensive archival research in Switzerland, Britain, and the United States, and in-depth interviews with key decision-makers including Paul Volcker, the former chairman of the US Federal Reserve; Sir Mervyn King, governor of the Bank of England; and former senior Bank for International Settlements managers and officials.

Tower of Basel tells the inside story of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS): the central bankers’ own bank. Created by the governors of the Bank of England and the Reichsbank in 1930, and protected by an international treaty, the BIS and its assets are legally beyond the reach of any government or jurisdiction. The bank is untouchable.

Swiss authorities have no jurisdiction over the bank or its premises. The BIS has just 140 customers but made tax-free profits of $1.17 billion in 20112012.Since its creation, the bank has been at the heart of global events but has often gone unnoticed. Under Thomas McKittrick, the bank’s American president from 19401946, the BIS was open for business throughout the Second World War. The BIS accepted looted Nazi gold, conducted foreign exchange deals for the Reichsbank, and was used by both the Allies and the Axis powers as a secret contact point to keep the channels of international finance open.

After 1945 the BIS still behind the scenes for decades provided the necessary technical and administrative support for the trans-European currency project, from the first attempts to harmonize exchange rates in the late 1940s to the launch of the Euro in 2002. It now stands at the center of efforts to build a new global financial and regulatory architecture, once again proving that it has the power to shape the financial rules of our world. Yet despite its pivotal role in the financial and political history of the last century and during the economic current crisis, the BIS has remained largely unknown until now.

©2012 Adam LeBor (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Good, Slightly Lopsided

Based on the subtitle, I was a little worried that this would devolve into conspiracy theories. Luckily, the book is much more clear eyed about the role of the BIS. It has some great chapters about the bank during WW2, but after that there's a noticable drop in details. Instead of ruling the world, the BIS send to get neutered after WW2. Also, keep in mind that the BIS is separate from the IMF and World Bank, so you won't learn much about them here.

Eye Opening

What did you love best about Tower of Basel?

Just the overall conspiracy of the banking cartel.

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

Just very well read on a difficult topic

Which character – as performed by John Mawson – was your favorite?

Not really applicable here

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

"The Banking Masters Who Control the World"

Any additional comments?

Very interesting, not an easy read, lots of banking terms info etc. but something everyone needs to know and wake up to.

Amazing story

Would you listen to Tower of Basel again? Why?

Not sure I would listen to it again, but I learned a lot and highly recommend it to anyone who believes that there are important global impact things at work in the world that are kept from us and that there are plans for the future of the planet and all of the people living here being created by people outside of our reach and without our knowledge. There are secret bankers who control the world economy and the book introduces you to them and explains the history of the bank and the people who created it and have run it for decades.

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

That there are actually a group of "secret" bankers that make a lot of world economic policy.

What about John Mawson’s performance did you like?

Very good job of matching the tone of his voice to the events as they unfold in the book.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When the American banker started helping the Nazi's.

Any additional comments?

In some ways, there is nothing surprising about this book because I believed this group existed. But my beliefs felt like conspiracy theories. Now I know this group of people exist and we know their names. It was like finding out that there are two people who work at the FBI named Mulder and Scully.

Global finance; Central Bank and BIS history

I came away with a good understand of the BIS, whereas I had none before. Overall, a great read for better understanding of global finance and the linkages between BIS and other major entities like sovereign Central Banks, IMF snd private sector international banks. Covers the good, bad, a balanced presentation. From 20th century to present.

informative

This helps to understand the way banks undermine and control countries. They will help any group of tirirants.

well written amd important book about the BIS

excellent content and research has been used in this book. narrator could have avoided the various accents tho', otherwise superb narration.

Too much opinion

A great read and very informative. A drawback was the all the commentary regarding social consciousness. The author also addresses this bank at times as if it were a typical corporate entity.

Always 2

Good story about people and connections, trust, loyalty, reputation, basically about money. I love you.

Eye opening from a pan European to a global instituting org.

The past history was designed by honest ambition but had terrible mistakes to supporting the Nazis from the director, it also shows the fallibility of a republic powerful institution to the need of being more democratic, open and transparent w/ freedom of information in transactions etc.

It could have been a great book

It's a good book, the facts are great. But it's already dated after 2022. And the author's judging comments and interventionist opinions could have been omitted. Which would have been an improvement.