What is the best biography/history of the Rothschild family?
August 8, 2017 1:02 PM   Subscribe

Googling for this is hard for probably obvious reasons. I've read the wikipedia page and in the notes I see a few options, but 1.) I want to really make sure I'm not wasting time with anti-Semitic conspiracy craziness and 2.) I'd like something readable and hopefully not dry. By best, I really just mean readable - I'm more of a pop history person.
posted by imabanana to Media & Arts (4 answers total) 6 users marked this as a favorite
 
Richard W. Davis' The English Rothschilds (1983) is standard for that branch of the family.
posted by thomas j wise at 1:15 PM on August 8, 2017 [1 favorite]


Don't know about 'best', but the two Niall Ferguson books were a good read. It's certainly not anti-Semitic, if anything he's overly sympathetic. The best part was the window into the creating of modern finance during and after the Napoleonic war. I thought the first one was a more interesting read, but that's because the subject matter lent itself to storytelling better. The House of Rothschild: Volume 1: Money's Prophets: 1798-1848
posted by cfraenkel at 1:40 PM on August 8, 2017 [2 favorites]


I read this one a long time ago, probably a previous edition. I enjoyed it. Very readable and not crazy at all.
posted by JimN2TAW at 2:05 PM on August 8, 2017


The ferguson books are great and predate his current persona.
posted by JPD at 3:20 PM on August 8, 2017


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