Forging Capitalism: Rogues, Swindlers, Frauds, and the Rise of Modern Finance

A riveting history of raw capitalism that exposes the unscrupulousness at its heart

Vice is endemic to Western capitalism, according to this fascinating, wildly entertaining, often startling history of modern finance. Ian Klaus’s Forging Capitalism demonstrates how international financial affairs in the nineteenth century were conducted not only by gentlemen as a noble pursuit but also by connivers, thieves, swindlers, and frauds who believed that no risk was too great and no scheme too out...