Rothschild: A Story of Wealth and Power

by Derek Wilson

Rothschild - for generations the name has been synonymous with high culture, political power and unparalleled wealth.
The Rothschilds dominated international finance for over a century. They bought the Suez Canal for Disraeli, financed the Battle of Waterloo and arranged the crushing indemnity of 5,000 million frs. demanded from France by Bismarck in 1871.
With extensive interviews and much previously unpublished material, Derek Wilson shows how their interests were often as bizarre as they were diverse. An obsession with collecting found focus in old masters, cigars, rhododendrons, fleas and even carriage-drawing zebras.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Historical, Biography

504 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

Derek Wilson has been a writer of historical fiction and non-fiction for 50 years. His much acclaimed prize-winning works have largely centred on 16th and 17th century Europe. He has used various pen names for his fiction, his current Thomas Treviot Tudor crime series being written under the name D.K. Wilson. The first 2 books in this series - The First Horseman and The Traitor's Mark are based on real unsolved Tudor mysteries and have received enthusiastic plaudits. Readers have favourably compared this innovative series with the books of C.J. Sansom and S.J. Parris.
Recent non-fiction triumphs include The Plantagenets, Holbein: Portrait of an Unknown Man, and Charlemagne: a Biography.
Derek Wilson graduated from Cambridge and spent several years travelling and teaching in Africa before becoming a full-time writer and broadcaster in 1971. He has frequently written and appeared on radio and television and is popular as a public speaker having appeared at several literary festivals,British Museum, Hampton Court Palace, The British Library and other prestigious venues.

Reviews

[Amitay Oren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mayer and Nathan are role models. Amazing book. Loved it.