From the cash injection that funded the Italian Renaissance to the stock market bubble that sparked the French Revolution, from the bonds that fueled Britain's war effort to the Wall Street Crash and meltdown, this book presents the story of boom and bust. It shows that finance is the foundation of all human progress and the lifeblood of history.

Bread, cash, dosh, dough, loot. Call it what you like, it matters now more than ever. In The Ascent of Money , Niall Ferguson shows that finance is the foundation of all human progress and the lifeblood of history. From the cash injection that funded the Italian Renaissance to the stock market bubble that sparked the French Revolution, from the bonds that fueled Britain's war effort to the Wall Street Crash and today's meltdown, this is the story of boom and bust as it's never been told before. Whether you're scraping by or rolling in it, there's no better time to understand the ascent of money.

'Ferguson is the most brilliant British historian of his generation ... he writes with splendid panache' Times 'Dazzling ! extraordinarily timely' - Martin Vander Weyer, Spectator 'Ferguson's powers are on formidable display' - Tristram Hunt, Observer 'A whistle-stop tour of the historical events that gave us the financial system we have today ! To Niall Ferguson's list of talents we can now add great timing' - Stephanie Flanders, Mail on Sunday 'Wonderfully accessible ! Ferguson is spot on' - Allister Heath, Literary Review 'One of the world's leading historians' - Hamish McRae, Independent 'A fine history ! told with verve and insight' Daily Telegraph