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BF

Bankers, financiers and Wall Street firms

Financial history

Histories of banking houses such as Morgan, Rothschild, Goldman Sachs and Lazard, and of the dealmakers, raiders and traders of Wall Street and the City.

64 books on Bankers, financiers and Wall Street firms, 1 of them tier 1, recommended by 14 people including Mohnish Pabrai and Chamath Palihapitiya.

64 books · 27 experts

Start here

  1. Morgan: American FinancierJean Strouse, 1999
  2. Other People's Money and How the Bankers Use ItLouis D. Brandeis, 1914
  3. The Great Pierpont MorganFrederick Lewis Allen, 1949
  4. The Go-Go YearsJohn Brooks, 1973
  5. The Morgans: Private International Bankers, 1854-1913Vincent P. Carosso, 1987

The best books on Bankers, financiers and Wall Street firms 64

Morgan: American FinancierMorgan: American Financier
T1 Morgan: American Financier
Jean Strouse · 1999
The definitive Pierpont Morgan biography, complementing Chernow's house history.
Open Library
Other People's Money and How the Bankers UseOther People's Money and How the Bankers Use It
T2 Other People's Money and How the Bankers Use It
Louis D. Brandeis · 1914
The contemporary case against the Morgan money trust.
Open Library
The Great Pierpont MorganThe Great Pierpont Morgan
T2 The Great Pierpont Morgan
Frederick Lewis Allen · 1949
The short classic account, written while the memory was still live.
Open Library
The Go-Go YearsThe Go-Go Years
T2 The Go-Go Years
John Brooks · 1973
The 1960s conglomerate and performance-fund boom.
Open Library
“Both books are outstanding histories of Rockefeller and Standard Oil and then of the booming 1960s.”Christopher Bloomstran
Recommended byChristopher BloomstranMohnish Pabrai
The Morgans: Private International Bankers, The Morgans: Private International Bankers, 1854-1913
T2 The Morgans: Private International Bankers, 1854-1913
Vincent P. Carosso · 1987
Scholarly firm history; the archival base later popular biographies drew on.
Open Library
Medici MoneyMedici Money
T2 Medici Money
Tim Parks · 2005
Renaissance banking, branch networks and the origins of modern finance.
Open Library
Confessions of a Wall Street AnalystConfessions of a Wall Street Analyst
T2 Confessions of a Wall Street Analyst
Dan Reingold, Jennifer Reingold · 2006
Insider account of the analyst-banking nexus that financed Ebbers's roll-up.
Open Library
Building a Global BankBuilding a Global Bank
T2 Building a Global Bank
Mauro F. Guillen, Adrian Tschoegl · 2008
How Santander went from domestic lender to global acquirer.
Open Library
Last Man Standing: The Ascent of Jamie DimonLast Man Standing: The Ascent of Jamie Dimon and JPMorgan Chase
T2 Last Man Standing: The Ascent of Jamie Dimon and JPMorgan Chase
Duff McDonald · 2009
Open Library
Salomon Brothers, 1910-1985: Advancing to LeSalomon Brothers, 1910-1985: Advancing to Leadership
T3 Salomon Brothers, 1910-1985: Advancing to Leadership
Robert Sobel · 1986
Commissioned institutional history, written before the fall.
Open Library
Takeover: The New Wall Street WarriorsTakeover: The New Wall Street Warriors
T3 Takeover: The New Wall Street Warriors
Moira Johnston · 1986
Contemporary reporting on the raiders, including his Phillips Petroleum fight.
Open Library
Junk BondsJunk Bonds
T3 Junk Bonds
Glenn Yago · 1990
How non-investment-grade credit first financed borrowers banks would not touch.
Open Library
True Greed: What Really Happened in the BattTrue Greed: What Really Happened in the Battle for RJR Nabisco
T3 True Greed: What Really Happened in the Battle for RJR Nabisco
Hope Lampert · 1990
The rival account, published months after Barbarians.
Open Library
The Junk Bond Revolution
T3 The Junk Bond Revolution
Fenton Bailey · 1991
British view of Drexel; more interested in the instrument than the man.
Open Library
House of Cards: Inside the Troubled Empire oHouse of Cards: Inside the Troubled Empire of American Express
T3 House of Cards: Inside the Troubled Empire of American Express
Jon Friedman, John Meehan · 1992
The Robinson years, Shearson, and the boardroom unravelling.
Open Library
The City of LondonThe City of London
T3 The City of London
David Kynaston · 1994
The four-volume history of the world's oldest continuous financial centre.
Open Library
The Death of Gentlemanly CapitalismThe Death of Gentlemanly Capitalism
T3 The Death of Gentlemanly Capitalism
Philip Augar · 2000
How Big Bang handed the City's investment banks to foreign owners.
Open Library
The Last Partnerships: Inside the Great WallThe Last Partnerships: Inside the Great Wall Street Money Dynasties
T3 The Last Partnerships: Inside the Great Wall Street Money Dynasties
Charles R. Geisst · 2001
History of the private Wall Street houses, Salomon included; Open Library unreachable.
Open Library
Wall Street: A HistoryWall Street: A History
T3 Wall Street: A History
Charles R. Geisst · 2004
The standard single-volume institutional history.
Open Library
The Greed MerchantsThe Greed Merchants
T3 The Greed Merchants
Philip Augar · 2005
How the integrated investment bank extracts its economics from clients.
Open Library
Chasing Goldman SachsChasing Goldman Sachs
T3 Chasing Goldman Sachs
Suzanne McGee · 2010
Open Library
The Last of the Imperious Rich: Lehman BrothThe Last of the Imperious Rich: Lehman Brothers, 1844-2008
T3 The Last of the Imperious Rich: Lehman Brothers, 1844-2008
Peter Chapman · 2010
The long institutional history, cotton broker to bankruptcy.
Open Library
The Rise and Fall of Bear StearnsThe Rise and Fall of Bear Stearns
T3 The Rise and Fall of Bear Stearns
Alan C. Greenberg, Mark Singer · 2010
Memoir by the firm's longtime chairman 'Ace' Greenberg.
Open Library
What Happened to Goldman SachsWhat Happened to Goldman Sachs
T3 What Happened to Goldman Sachs
Steven G. Mandis · 2013
Ex-banker turned sociologist on organizational drift.
Open Library
The Secret Club That Runs the WorldThe Secret Club That Runs the World
T3 The Secret Club That Runs the World
Kate Kelly · 2014
Commodity desks at banks and funds after the 2008 boom.
Open Library
The Lion Wakes
T3 The Lion Wakes
David Kynaston, Richard Roberts · 2015
Authorised modern history of HSBC, the territory's dominant financial institution.
Open Library
The Bank That Lived a Little
T3 The Bank That Lived a Little
Philip Augar · 2018
Barclays' thirty-year attempt to become a global investment bank.
Open Library
The Story of Bank of America: Biography of aThe Story of Bank of America: Biography of a Bank
T4 The Story of Bank of America: Biography of a Bank
Bessie R. James, Marquis James · 1954
Open Library
Recommended byMohnish Pabrai
The Takeover GameThe Takeover Game
T4 The Takeover Game
John Brooks Schroeder · 1987
Open Library
Recommended byMohnish Pabrai
The Predators' Ball: The Inside Story of DreThe Predators' Ball: The Inside Story of Drexel Burnham and the Rise of the Junk Bond Raiders
T4 The Predators' Ball: The Inside Story of Drexel Burnham and the Rise of the Junk Bond Raiders
Connie Bruck · 1988
Written while Drexel was still ascendant.
Open Library
Recommended byMohnish Pabrai
Liar's Poker: Rising Through the Wreckage onLiar's Poker: Rising Through the Wreckage on Wall Street
T4 Liar's Poker: Rising Through the Wreckage on Wall Street
Michael Lewis · 1989
Salomon Brothers mortgage desk, from the inside
Open Library
“I do believe, as Michael Lewis writes in his intriguing 1989 book, "Liar's Poker," that it is unlikely that an individual unable to buck convention in one's life will suddenly be able to buck…”Michael Burry
Recommended byMichael BurryMohnish PabraiNat EliasonChamath PalihapitiyaTim FerrissTim O’Reilly
Barbarians at the GateBarbarians at the Gate
T4 Barbarians at the Gate
Bryan Burrough, John Helyar · 1990
KKR's defining deal, told from all sides.
Open Library
“He praises the RJR Nabisco saga simply as "excellent.”Chamath Palihapitiya
Recommended byJim CollinsMohnish PabraiChamath Palihapitiya
The House of Morgan: An American Banking DynThe House of Morgan: An American Banking Dynasty and the Rise of Modern Finance
T4 The House of Morgan: An American Banking Dynasty and the Rise of Modern Finance
Ron Chernow · 1990
On the predecessor houses; National Book Award winner.
Open Library
Recommended byMohnish PabraiPaul Graham
The House of NomuraThe House of Nomura
T4 The House of Nomura
Al Alletzhauser · 1990
Open Library
Recommended byMohnish Pabrai
The Money CultureThe Money Culture
T4 The Money Culture
Michael Lewis · 1991
Collected 1980s finance essays
Open Library
The Warburgs: The Twentieth-Century Odyssey The Warburgs: The Twentieth-Century Odyssey of a Remarkable Jewish Family
T4 The Warburgs: The Twentieth-Century Odyssey of a Remarkable Jewish Family
Ron Chernow · 1993
Open Library
Recommended byMohnish Pabrai
Building the Northern Rock: 1965-1994
T4 Building the Northern Rock: 1965-1994
Stephen Aris · 1994
Commissioned history, written long before the run.
Open Library
Master of the GameMaster of the Game
T4 Master of the Game
Connie Bruck · 1994
How Ross built the conglomerate and forced the Time merger.
Open Library
Recommended byMohnish PabraiCharlie Munger
The New Financial Capitalists: Kohlberg KravThe New Financial Capitalists: Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and the Creation of Corporate Value
T4 The New Financial Capitalists: Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and the Creation of Corporate Value
George P. Baker, George David Smith · 1998
Academic and broadly favorable.
Open Library
Recommended byMohnish Pabrai
Goldman Sachs: The Culture of SuccessGoldman Sachs: The Culture of Success
T4 Goldman Sachs: The Culture of Success
Lisa Endlich · 1999
By a former Goldman VP; sympathetic pre-IPO institutional history.
Open Library
Recommended byMohnish Pabrai
From Schweizerische Kreditanstalt to Credit From Schweizerische Kreditanstalt to Credit Suisse Group: The History of a Bank
T4 From Schweizerische Kreditanstalt to Credit Suisse Group: The History of a Bank
Joseph Jung · 2000
Authorised 150-year corporate history; Open Library unreachable during this pass.
Open Library
Financial Services without BordersFinancial Services without Borders
T4 Financial Services without Borders
Charles D. Ellis · 2001
Open Library
MemoirsMemoirs
T2 Memoirs
David Rockefeller · 2002
Insider account of Chase Manhattan, the other half of the merged bank.
Open Library
Take on the StreetTake on the Street
T4 Take on the Street
Arthur Levitt, Paula Dwyer · 2002
Open Library
Recommended byWarren Buffett
Citibank: A Century In AsiaCitibank: A Century In Asia
T4 Citibank: A Century In Asia
Peter Starr · 2003
Open Library
Recommended byMohnish Pabrai
My Life as a QuantMy Life as a Quant
T3 My Life as a Quant
Emanuel Derman · 2004
Physicist to Goldman; the making of the volatility-surface era.
Open Library
The Battle for the Soul of CapitalismThe Battle for the Soul of Capitalism
T4 The Battle for the Soul of Capitalism
John C. Bogle · 2005
Open Library
Recommended byMohnish PabraiMr. Money Mustache
What Goes Up: The Uncensored History of ModeWhat Goes Up: The Uncensored History of Modern Wall Street as Told by the Bankers, Brokers, CEOs, and the Scoundrels Who Made It Happen
T4 What Goes Up: The Uncensored History of Modern Wall Street as Told by the Bankers, Brokers, CEOs, and the Scoundrels Who Made It Happen
Eric J. Weiner · 2005
Open Library
Recommended byMohnish Pabrai
Fallen Giant: The Amazing Story of Hank GreeFallen Giant: The Amazing Story of Hank Greenberg and the History of AIG
T3 Fallen Giant: The Amazing Story of Hank Greenberg and the History of AIG
Ron Shelp, Al Ehrbar · 2006
Pre-crisis; by a former AIG executive.
Open Library
The Last Tycoons: The Secret History of LazaThe Last Tycoons: The Secret History of Lazard Freres & Co
T4 The Last Tycoons: The Secret History of Lazard Freres & Co
William D. Cohan · 2007
Open Library
Recommended byMohnish Pabrai
The Partnership: The Making of Goldman SachsThe Partnership: The Making of Goldman Sachs
T4 The Partnership: The Making of Goldman Sachs
Charles D. Ellis · 2008
The partnership form at its most profitable, and why it ended.
Open Library
Recommended byMohnish Pabrai
The House of DimonThe House of Dimon
T4 The House of Dimon
Patricia Crisafulli · 2009
Open Library
Dealings: A Political & Financial LifeDealings: A Political & Financial Life
T4 Dealings: A Political & Financial Life
Felix G Rohatyn · 2010
Open Library
Recommended byMohnish Pabrai
High Financier: The Lives and Time of SiegmuHigh Financier: The Lives and Time of Siegmund Warburg
T4 High Financier: The Lives and Time of Siegmund Warburg
Niall Ferguson · 2010
Open Library
Recommended byMohnish Pabrai
Money and Power: How Goldman Sachs Came to RMoney and Power: How Goldman Sachs Came to Rule the World
T4 Money and Power: How Goldman Sachs Came to Rule the World
William D. Cohan · 2011
Open Library
Recommended byMohnish Pabrai
Finance and the Good SocietyFinance and the Good Society
T4 Finance and the Good Society
Robert J. Shiller · 2012
Open Library
Why I Left Goldman SachsWhy I Left Goldman Sachs
T3 Why I Left Goldman Sachs
Greg Smith · 2012
Insider resignation memoir that began as an op-ed.
Open Library
The Buy Side: A Wall Street Trader's Tale ofThe Buy Side: A Wall Street Trader's Tale of Spectacular Excess
T4 The Buy Side: A Wall Street Trader's Tale of Spectacular Excess
Turney Duff · 2013
Open Library
Recommended byMohnish Pabrai
Bloodsport: When Ruthless Dealmakers, ShrewdBloodsport: When Ruthless Dealmakers, Shrewd Ideologues & 28 Brawling Lawyers Toppled the Corporate Establishment
T4 Bloodsport: When Ruthless Dealmakers, Shrewd Ideologues & 28 Brawling Lawyers Toppled the Corporate Establishment
Robert 28 Teitelman · 2016
Open Library
Recommended byMohnish Pabrai
Makers and TakersMakers and Takers
T4 Makers and Takers
Rana Foroohar · 2016
Open Library
Recommended byTim O’Reilly
Bully Market: My Story of Money and Misogyny
T4 Bully Market: My Story of Money and Misogyny at Goldman Sachs
Jamie Fiore Higgins · 2022
Insider memoir of the trading floor culture.
Open Library
The House of Rothschild
T4 The House of Rothschild
Niall Ferguson
unverified
Recommended byMark Zuckerberg
The King of Capital: Sandy Weill and the MakThe King of Capital: Sandy Weill and the Making of Citigroup
T4 The King of Capital: Sandy Weill and the Making of Citigroup
Amey Stone, Mike Brewster
unverified
Recommended byMohnish Pabrai
VeniceVenice
T4 Venice
Frederic C. Lane
unverified
Recommended byStewart Brand

Experts 27

The people who wrote this page's books, and the people who recommend them.

Authors 13

PA
Philip Augarwrote 3 books here
CD
Charles D. Elliswrote 2 books hereMichael Lewiswrote 2 books hereRon Chernowwrote 2 books here
CB
Connie Bruckwrote 2 books hereNiall Fergusonwrote 2 books here
WD
William D. Cohanwrote 2 books hereDavid Kynastonwrote 2 books hereJohn C. Boglewrote 1 book hereRobert J. Shillerwrote 1 book hereFrederick Lewis Allenwrote 1 book here
JB
John Brookswrote 1 book here
Show all 13
Emanuel Dermanwrote 1 book here

Recommenders 14

MP
Mohnish Pabrairecommends 23 books hereChamath Palihapitiyarecommends 2 books hereTim O’Reillyrecommends 2 books hereCharlie Mungerrecommends 1 book here
JC
Jim Collinsrecommends 1 book herePaul Grahamrecommends 1 book hereWarren Buffettrecommends 1 book here
CB
Christopher Bloomstranrecommends 1 book hereMark Zuckerbergrecommends 1 book here
MB
Michael Burryrecommends 1 book here
MM
Mr. Money Mustacherecommends 1 book here
NE
Nat Eliasonrecommends 1 book here
Show all 14
Stewart Brandrecommends 1 book hereTim Ferrissrecommends 1 book here
See all 27 in the Experts tab →

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