In this major "state of the art" survey, a highly distinguished team of contributors addresses the complex and crucial role of finance in European history during the period 1880-1960. Throughout the volume a global and comparative perspective is used in the analysis of a problem that may in fact be perceived at four different, although interrelated levels. Firstly, the economic: What was the weight of the financial sector in a given economy? Secondly, the social: What was the specific position of the financial elites in society? Thirdly, the political: What was the impact of financial...