'This is the most impressive, most comprehensive, and most up-to-date single volume history of finance there is. Its central argument about the beneficial effects of financial innovation - along with the many cautionary tales of how and why things go sour, of the consequences of adequate mechanisms for ensuring commitment and responsibility - make it at once a classic, whose influence will endure a long time.' Harold James, author of The End of Globalization: Lessons from the Great Depression
'This is an outstanding concise history of international finance. It documents the path of finance from the personal to the impersonal, from ancient to modern times. This is not merely a summary of what others have done, but soundly based on Larry Neal's own careful research. As Neal writes in chapter one, he wants to look historically at where there were effective solutions to financial difficulties and how these 'solutions' played out through time. The book is a splendid introduction to the history of international finance.' Mira Wilkins, co-author of Global Electrification: Multinational Enterprise and International Finance in the History of Light and Power, 18782007
'A rich mix of wide-ranging, keenly known historical specifics, conceptual constructions, broad long-term horizons, and narrative unfolding. An erudite and thoughtful gem, reflecting a lifetime of scholarship and reflection.' Richard Roberts, author of Saving the City: The Great Financial Crisis of 1914
'Did you know that modern international finance had its origin in financing the Crusades? Larry Neal reveals interconnections between international finance and wars, trade, governments and even religion in his concise history. [He] vividly chronicles a thousand years of financial innovations, demonstrating that financial crises gradually emerged as more potent stimuli to financial innovation than religion.' Peter Temin, co-author of Keynes: Useful Economics for the World Economy
'As economists and policy makers are drawn to history for a deeper understanding of the wonders and dangers of financial innovation, Neal's outstanding scholarship provides the much-needed introduction to financial development from the Assyrian times to the present. It will remain the standard reference for years to come.' Gianni Toniolo, co-author of The World Economy Between the Wars
