The Bank of England: Money, Power, and Influence 1694-1994 - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0198289529 ISBN 13: 9780198289524

Publisher: OUP Oxford, 1995

Synopsis

The Bank of England's tercentenary (July 1994), coming as it does with the future status of the Bank a subject of much discussion, is an apposite moment to offer an overview of the Bank's history as a whole. Obviously there have been several detailed histories of the Bank, but this collection of essays is the first attempt to identify the most important themes of the institution's history and put them in a long-term perspective. The main pieces will deal with the Bank's relations with government, its impact on the British economy, its role in international central banking, its position in the City of London, and its changing composition and management. In addition, in a piece likely to cause considerable interest, the Deputy Governor (Rupert Pennant Rea) will be looking at all these themes in a contemporary light and offering some thoughts about the Bank's future. Added value is given by two main appendices: a detailed chronology of the Bank's history; and a comprehensive listing of its governors, directors, and senior officials. In sum, this is a book that meets a clear intellectual need, while also being extremely convenient for those unwilling or unable to embark on the circa 2600 pages of the three main official histories.
Contributors: D. Kynaston, A. Cairncross, P. Cottrell, R. Roberts, E. Hennessy, R. Pennant Rea,

About this title

About the Author

Richard Roberts is the author of the history of Schroders, and the editor of a series of studies of international financial centres. David Kynaston is the author of histories of the Financial Times, Cazenove, and the City of London.

From the Back Cover

The Bank of England - the Old Lady of Threadneedle Street - has played a crucial, if sometimes little understood role in the life of the nation for over 300 years. Financer of wars, issuer of notes, lender of last resort, watchdog of the City, and most recently as a powerful shaper of economic policy - in all these roles its actions and decisions have had far-reaching consequences. Here, a distinguished group of historians and economists with first-hand knowledge of the Bank's past and present provides an authoritative and readable assessment of the major themes in the Bank's history: its relationship with government; its impact on the British economy; its position in the City of London; and its role in the international banking and monetary system. We are also given an insight into the evolution of a uniquely British institution, its management, and some of the most colourful and influential figures associated with it, such as Montagu Norman, the commanding figure who was Governor from 1920-44. To bring the picture up to the present Rupert Pennant-Rea outlines the contemporary challenges of independence, restructuring, and European Monetary development. Added value is given by two main appendices: a detailed chronology of the Bank's history; and a comprehensive listing of its governors, directors, and senior officials.

Edition details

• Publisher: OUP Oxford
• Publication date: 1995
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0198289529
• ISBN 13: 9780198289524
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 328
• Editor: Roberts Richard, Kynaston David