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The Battle of Bretton Woods
- John Maynard Keynes, Harry Dexter White, and the Making of a New World Order
- Narrated by: Philip Rose
- Length: 15 hrs and 53 mins
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The Battle of Bretton Woods
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Summary
When turmoil strikes world monetary and financial markets, leaders invariably call for "a new Bretton Woods" to prevent catastrophic economic disorder and defuse political conflict. The name of the remote New Hampshire town where representatives of 44 nations gathered in July 1944, in the midst of the century's second great war, has become shorthand for enlightened globalization. The actual story surrounding the historic Bretton Woods accords, however, is full of startling drama, intrigue, and rivalry, which are vividly brought to life in Benn Steil's epic account.
Upending the conventional wisdom that Bretton Woods was the product of an amiable Anglo-American collaboration, Steil shows that it was in reality part of a much more ambitious geopolitical agenda hatched within President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Treasury and aimed at eliminating Britain as an economic and political rival. At the heart of the drama were the antipodal characters of John Maynard Keynes, the renowned and revolutionary British economist, and Harry Dexter White, the dogged, self-made American technocrat. Bringing to bear new and striking archival evidence, Steil offers the most compelling portrait yet of the complex and controversial figure of White - the architect of the dollar's privileged place in the Bretton Woods monetary system, who also, very privately, admired Soviet economic planning and engaged in clandestine communications with Soviet intelligence officials and agents over many years.
A remarkably deft work of storytelling that reveals how the blueprint for the postwar economic order was actually drawn, The Battle of Bretton Woods is destined to become a classic of economic and political history.
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Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Jason
- 06-06-14
Gripping and dull
Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?
To a friend with a keen interest in economics, yes. As a good read, no.
Lacking any formal education in economics, much of the book went straight over my head. That much said, the bits I did get were frequently very interesting. It was often very technical, and the technical elements presupposed that the reader understood the basic concepts. That is more a failing on the part of this reader than the writer, but other readers should maybe understand that a solid grounding in economics would be advantageous before venturing forth into this book.
What does Philip Rose bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?
Whilst I enjoyed Rose's delivery, I actually did wish I had a hard copy I could easily flip backwards and forwards through, to try and get my head around some of the more tricky technical aspects.
If this book were a film would you go see it?
No.
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5 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Luca Nicotra
- 09-03-15
Great book on the path to Bretton Woods
Well written book on the historical circumstances leading up to Bretton Woods and the consequences of its implementation.
Recommended to everyone remotely interested in the roots of the current economic crisis
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Mister Peridot
- 11-01-14
Excellent book but not for the general reader
The premise and structure of this book is excellent. And the author is an excellent writer with an eye for detil and clear expression. Enjoyed the opening chapters. But now, half way through, am reluctantly giving up.
As usual with economics books the author doesnt hit the right pitch of understanding for the general, but interested reader. And this book is too much about economics for that not too matter.
Come on you economists, you have got to explain things in a bit more detail, without condescending to your audience. I believe this author could certainly achieve this and I hope he goes on to fill a much needed niche in this field, ie. economic history made interesting for the general reader.
Who this book would better serve might be a college economics student who wants to read a full and very eloquent account of the people and politics of the Bretton Woods negotiations.
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1 person found this helpful