The Merchant Bankers

5 Winsley Street, London, W1: Weidenfeld and Nicolson , 1967. Stated at copyright: "First published in Great Britain in 1967, Second Impression march 1967". Black fine full-cloth boards, bright gilt spine titles w/two bands, slight shelf wear. Pages near fine, clean. Variety of association copy previously as part of the Weidenfeld archive library. Couple red stamps at front endpaper for the original publisher of this title: "Please return to the archives. Weidenfeld (Publishers) Ltd. 91 Clapham High Street, London." Also to exterior text block, title page. Bind fine, square; hinges intact. Original full gold dust wrapper w/black and white titles, slight shelf wear; unclipped 42s net, protected in new clear sleeve. Simple 1960's wrapper design by Peter Constable Pope. An inside view of the fabulous financial world personified by the Hambros, the Baring Brothers, Siegmund Warburg, the Rothschilds, the Lehman Brothers, the Deutsche Bank and the Banca Commerciale Italiana. Here are the legends - and the truth - about the mysterious world of merchant banking. Walter Bagehot, the brilliant Victorian banker, economist and critic wrote about the great merchant bankers of London in 1873, 'We must not let in daylight upon magic', and that is still their motto. The 'Princes of the City' are a secretive fraternity, and their legend is associated with power behind the thrones and international intrigue, spectacular coups and sinister deals. This is the first comprehensive book ever written about their mysterious, mahogany-panelled world - partners' 'parlours' and take-over battles, City fights and international finance. Joseph Wechsberg was able to get the inside story and let in 'daylight upon magic'. He writes about the Baring Brothers, oldest of the great houses; about Hambros, who financed Cavour; S. G. Warburg, whose post war success made him the most talked-about but still the least-known of the great merchant bankers, and about the young Rothschilds in St. Swithins Lane. Apart from the City of London, the continent is represented by Raffaele Mattioli, head of the Banca commericale Italiana and by Hermann J. Abs, head of the Deutsche Bank, who advised Adenauer and now Erhard. Wall Street is represented by the fabulous Lehman brothers. This is the fascinating story of high finance - of millions lost, but more often made. Cotents: "Preface: Strictly Personal; The Merchant Bankers: Daylight Upon Magic; Hambros: The King-Makers; Barings: The Sixth Great Power; Warburg: The Nonconformist; Mattioli: The Master of Paradox; Abs: The Organist; Lehman Brothers: The Money-Magicians; and, Rothschilds: The Young Generation". Joseph Wechsberg, the son of a merchant banker, was born in Czechoslovakia. He studied at the Vienna Conservatory of Music, the Sorbonne and Prague University Law School. He went to America in 1938 and is now a United States citizen. Printed in Great Britain by Lowe & Brydone (Printers) Ltd., London. 365 pages. Insured post.. First Edition. Hard Cover. Very Good/Very Good. 8vo - over 7¾ - 9¾" Tall.