Devil Take the Hindmost

A History of Financial Speculation

By: Edward Chancellor

Narrated by: Nigel Patterson

Devil Take the Hindmost is a lively, original, and challenging history of stock market speculation from the 17th century to the present day. Edward Chancellor traces the origins of the speculative spirit back to ancient Rome and chronicles its revival in the modern world: from the tulip scandal of 1630s Holland, to "stockjobbing" in London's Exchange Alley (where wine sold at auction by an "inch of a candle"), to the infamous South Sea Bubble of 1719, which prompted investor Sir Isaac Newton to comment, "I can calculate the motion of heavenly bodies, but not the madness of people." Here are brokers underwriting risks that included highway robbery and the "assurance of female chastity;" credit notes and lottery tickets circulating as money; wise and unwise investors from Alexander Pope and Benjamin Disraeli to Ivan Boesky and Hillary Rodham Clinton.

©1999 Edward Chancellor (P)2019 Tantor

Financial calamities, the Japan chapter is Banger

Great book on Speculation from Classical times (Rome), Soros in Asia, Junk Bonds, Japan of the 1990s, to current Equity/Debt markets.

Edward Chancellor is excellent and makes the subject flow and keeps the details interesting.

The narration is excellent as Nigel Patterson always does.

Great contender and excellent narrator

The latter is as soothing as the former is distressing! Only nit is that Scholes is pronounced “Sholz” not “Skoles”.

Great overview of history of Financial bubbles

Great overview of Financial Bubbles. Gives quite good description of events happening during episodes of excess speculation

Great overview

While the books author certainly has an opinion he discusses the various viewpoints and economic theories with respect and understanding while also pulling in characters and cultural factors as well

Great lesson in financial history

An informative listen on the history of financial irrational exuberance through history. I enjoyed every minute of it