The Rise of Merchant Banking

This history of merchant banking is based on the archives of the leading houses and the records of their activities throughout the world. It combines scholarly penetration with readability, and offers a totally new insight into the origins of one of the most dynamic sectors of the City of London money market, of the British economy as a whole and of a major aspect of the growth of international business. Until very recently researchers have not been admitted to bank archives, so studies of particular firms written by executives and journalists have been practically all that has been available. Dr Chapman has researched new material from the archives of Rothschilds, Barings, Kleinwort Benson and other leading houses, together with a wide range of archives and published work in Europe, America and South Africa to trace the roots of British enterprise in financing international trade, exporting capital, floating companies, arbitrage, and other activities of the merchant banking. He is equally concerned to identify the historical mould of the present structure, and to analyze the background of the merchant banking families. The record of the leading city firms is evaluated down to the First World War to assess how far their reputation was deserved. While mindful of the subtleties of international financial connections, this book assumes no previous acquaintance with the jargon of banking, economics and sociology. It should therefore prove equally interesting to students of history, business and finance. It also offers a "good read" to anyone interested in the City of London and the international economy.