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Tower of Basel

The Shadowy History of the Secret Bank that Runs the World

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Tower of Basel

By: Adam LeBor
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A brilliant investigation into the most powerful institution you’ve never heard of.

“An absorbing and thorough examination.” —Reuters

The Bank for International Settlements is the bank for central banks. It is one of the world’s most secretive—and most influential—global financial institutions.

Created by the governors of the Bank of England and the Reichsbank in 1930 and protected by an international treaty, the BIS and its assets are untouchable, legally beyond the reach of any government or jurisdiction. In the 1940s, under the supervision of an American banker, the BIS accepted looted Nazi gold, conducted deals for the Reichsbank, and was used by both the Allies and the Axis powers as a secret contact point to keep the channels of international finance open.

Now updated with two new chapters on the BIS’s role in the development of Central Bank Digital Currencies and their disturbing implications for civil liberties and personal financial autonomy, Tower of Basel offers an incisive and enthralling picture of one of the most powerful financial organizations to ever exist.

20th Century Banks & Banking International Modern
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Critic reviews

“Adam LeBor's Tower of Basel: The Shadowy History of the Secret Bank That Runs the World makes a strident case for challenging these financial shamans [central bankers] ... Mr. LeBor's polemical tone makes his book compelling ... It's a very ugly picture, and Mr. LeBor has painted it well.”—Wall Street Journal
“[Lebor] does a creditable job in this well-researched account.”—New York Times Book Review
“An absorbing and thorough examination of one of the world's most important yet opaque institutions.”—Reuters
“It's a story of financial intrigue, secrets and lies, rumor and truth. LeBor, a business journalist (he's also the author of several thrillers), knows how to make a true story about finance as thrilling as any spy novel. A highly entertaining and informative book about the most powerful bank you've probably never heard of.”—Booklist
“Lebor exposes the wheeling, dealing, and often nefarious activities of global investment bankers…Lively… The historical and contemporary power of the secretive BIS will surprise and alarm readers.”—Publishers Weekly
“Adam LeBor has written an absolutely fascinating history of the BIS, perhaps the most enigmatic financial institution in the world. The story he unveils of the many skeletons in its closet and its astounding ability to remake itself periodically only add to its mystique.”—Liaquat Ahamed, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Lords of Finance: The Bankers Who Broke the World
“Tower of Basel is essential reading. Meticulously researched and fluently written, it reveals a slice of the modern world's untold history—a gripping tale of covert networks, secret deals and unaccountable, powerful individuals whose decisions shape our lives.”—Edward Lucas, author of Deception: The Untold Story of East-West Espionage Today
“Compelling reading—a masterly depiction of the role of the BIS in the Nazi period and Second World War.”—Harold James, professor of history and international affairs, Princeton University, and author of Making the European Monetary Union
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