The Rich
From Slaves to Super-Yachts: A 2,000-Year History
Published on 2. October 2014
480 pages
978-1-4055-1973-1 (ISBN)
Description
From the Orwell Prize shortlisted author of Freedom for Sale, The Rich is the fascinating history of how economic elites from ancient Egypt to the present day have gained and spent their money.
Starting with the Romans and Ancient Egypt and culminating with the oligarchies of modern Russia and China, it compares and contrasts the rich and powerful down the ages and around the world. What unites them? Have the same instincts of entrepreneurship, ambition, vanity, greed and philanthropy applied throughout?
As contemporary politicians, economists and the public wrestle with the inequities of our time - the parallel world inhabited by the ultra-wealthy at a time of broader hardship - it is salutary to look to history for explanations. This book synthesises thousands of years of human behaviour and asks the question: is the development of the globalised super-rich over the past twenty years anything new?
Starting with the Romans and Ancient Egypt and culminating with the oligarchies of modern Russia and China, it compares and contrasts the rich and powerful down the ages and around the world. What unites them? Have the same instincts of entrepreneurship, ambition, vanity, greed and philanthropy applied throughout?
As contemporary politicians, economists and the public wrestle with the inequities of our time - the parallel world inhabited by the ultra-wealthy at a time of broader hardship - it is salutary to look to history for explanations. This book synthesises thousands of years of human behaviour and asks the question: is the development of the globalised super-rich over the past twenty years anything new?
Reviews / Votes
Praise for John Kampfner: One of Britain's most distinguished political writers * Mail on Sunday * The Rich is an absorbing read . . . there is plenty of rich material * The Times * The Rich is witty, extremely readable and home to all sorts of enjoyably crazy figures * Observer * Fascinating * Tatler * More readable than Piketty . . . original and enjoyable -- Martin Vander Weyer * Literary Review * A vivid account -- Chris Blackhurst * Independent * The Rich bursts with fascinating details about the lives of a colourful cast of ultra-wealthy characters . . . a sweeping narrative that traces a lineage from the majesty of earlier ages to the oligarchs and tycoons of the present day * Financial Times * A panoramic and solidly researched new book . . . Good books leave you knowing more than you did to start with, and feeling less complacent about what you believed. On both of those counts, The Rich does the business * Weekend Australian *More details
Edition
Digital original
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Edition type
Digital original
Illustrations
b/w photo plate section 16pp (2 x 8pp)
File size
2,31 MB
ISBN-13
978-1-4055-1973-1 (9781405519731)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Person
John Kampfner is one of the UK's most respected and iconoclastic authors, broadcasters and commentators, and has been a well-known public voice on politics, international affairs and civil liberties for the past two decades. From 2005 to 2008 he was Editor of the New Statesman, and he contributes regularly to the Guardian, Independent, Financial Times and other newspapers. His previous books include Freedom for Sale and the bestselling Blair's Wars. He lives in London.
