The Rothschilds: A Family Portrait

Fascinating tale of a rise from desperate poverty in an 18th Century Jewish ghetto to globe-influencing wealth in a single generation. I found most interesting how the demise of the Hessians on the fields of the American Revolutionary War enriched the patriarch's patron with trickle down of gold for the formerly humber Rothschilds family. The books goes up to the WWII era and beyond until the rise of prodigal playboys.

Very well-written story of the Rothschild family, beginning with the story of Meyer Rothschild returning to the city of his birth, Frankfurt, at age 20 in 1764. He was forced to live in the Jewish ghetto, but managed to befriend well-placed persons, including the nobility, throughout the city and the country. His sons benefitted from these connections and built on them in their own fashion, establishing family strongholds in several other European cities, notably London and Paris. Their connections and internal family network helped them to develop an increasingly strong banking network; their business skills enabled them to strengthen it repeatedly (though their most devastating techniques appear to rely on market manipulation which show more would be inappropriate if not downright illegal today). Their business successes led to the creation of immense fortunes, and the development of fabulous personal estates throughout Europe, while fighting prejudice against the Jewish faith throughout the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. The book was published in 1961, and so ends at that point, but still provides a fascinating view into the family and the times. The author is clearly a fan of the family (and in fact his foreword indicates that he worked closely with certain members of the family), so it is overwhelmingly positive and sunny, but enjoyable nonetheless. Recommended. show less

A clearly written group biography of the prosperous generations of the banking family. Useful for period colour, should you be writing on the period..

Did you realize people used to collect Rothschildiana? Has any other family husbanded such varied and spectacular personalities who do not seem bound by the pettiness of wealth? Great wealth.
At the end of the 18th century, a Frankfurt money changer, Mayer Amschel Rothschild, moved into a house on Jew Street crowded with five sons. Each of them moved out, to five European cities, and finally to the treasuries of world power.
The author has a gift, noted by Aldous Huxley, for characterization. He also records financial strategies -- historical and current [274ff].

4612. The Rothschilds A Family Portrait, by Frederic Morton (read 27 Aug 2009) This is Morton's first book, and is by now somewhat dated. The early part tells the story of the rise of the Rothschilds well, but as the book progresses it spends much time telling of the silly extravagances of the Rothschilds, which really seem disgusting and ridiculous. By the time I finished the book I was glad it was ending. I did read Guy de Rothschild's memoir The Whims of Fortune: The Memoirs of Guy de Rothschild (read 22 Jan 1994) and found it pretty good reading in parts.

This mixes the social with a little econmic background. Excellent photographs.

History of powerful, rich European Jewish family