This history of the global securities market is the product of over 30 years of research by one of the world's foremost financial historians. It covers all aspects of the history of the securities markets from its beginnings in Medieval Venice through Amsterdam and London to its operations in Tokyo and New York today.

This history of the global securities market is the product of over 30 years of research by one of the world's foremost financial historians. It covers all aspects of the history of the securities markets from its beginnings in Medieval Venice through Amsterdam and London to its operations in Tokyo and New York today. It also integrates the history of both stocks and bonds, established and emerging markets, stock exchanges and over-the-counter trading, and the crises and continuity that have made the global securities market such a force in the world over the centuries.

While many argue that the financial and commercial interests of London have exercised a dominant influence over government economic thinking, others claim that the financial sector has been constricted by government. The relationship between the British government and London has become central to debates on modern British economic, political and social life. This collection of essays brings together leading financial and political historians to directly address the issue.

First published in 1987, this is a reissue of the first book to offer a detailed comparison of two of the foremost stock exchanges in world before 1914.