From Crisis to Crisis. The transformation of merchant banking, 1914-1939

Notes:

Winner of the Wadsworth Prize for Business History, 2018. Scholarly work based on doctoral thesis. Describes and explains the business of London merchant banks and its evolution. Explores the adjustment / survival of merchant banks (and failure to do so) in the very changed macro environment post 1914, more particularly post 1918. Deals with such issues as business strategies; risk management; response to foreign competition; acceptance / short term finance activities; long term finance, notably to domestic industry; continuing mercantile business; etc. Defines the constituency, referring also to smaller and often forgotten players. Includes an extensive appendix [pp361-402] which provides short profiles of constituents, many obscure. Much about Bank of England, Baring Brothers; British Overseas Bank; Goschens & Cunliffe; Hambros; Huths; Kleinworts; Lazards; Morgan Grenfell; N M Rothschild; Schroders; Wallace Brothers; Arbuthnot Latham