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The Rothschilds

By: Frederic Morton
Narrated by: Richard Ferrone
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Publisher's summary

A National Book Award finalist from best-selling author Frederic Morton

No family in the past two centuries has been as constantly at the center of Europe's great events, has featured such varied and spectacular personalities, has had anything close to the wealth of the Rothschilds. To this day they remain one of the most powerful and wealthy families in the world.

In Frederic Morton's classic tale, the family is brought vividly to life. Here you'll meet Mayer, longtime adviser to Germany's princes, who broke through the barriers of a Frankfurt ghetto and placed his family on the road to wealth and power; Lord Alfred, who maintained a private train, private orchestra (which he conducted), and private circus (of which he was ringmaster); Baron Philippe, whose rarefied vintages bear labels that were created by great artists, among them Picasso, Dali, and Haring; and Kathleen Nica Rothschild de Koenigswarter, the "jazz baroness", in whose arms Charlie Parker died.

The family itself has been at the center of some of the most crucial moments in history: the defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo, the development of the Suez Canal, the introduction of Jews in the House of Lords. Through it all, the Rothschild name has continued to represent the family ideal, and no author has so nimbly captured the eccentric brilliance of blood as Frederic Morton.

©1961 Frederic Morton (P)2018 Audible, Inc.
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What listeners say about The Rothschilds

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Charming and educational

Enjoyed it completely, lock, stock and barrel, from the opening bell all the way to the closing bell.

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3 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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amazing rise from getting to sealth

this traces generations of Rothchilds from their genre beginnings to one of the wealthiest families in the world. it is very interesting to see how they were involved i
historic events.

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4 people found this helpful

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interesting

well researched hagiography with some ornate midcentury prose. reader good. had tone/attitude I have never heard before in a professional reader.

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3 people found this helpful

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great intro to the family

I've seen little YouTube videos and read a little about the actions of the family, but this book did a great job on introducing the family at the core. really enjoyed it.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Gilding Lillies

Story over dramatised,
Some descriptions were too flowery and made a simple situation more complicated

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2 people found this helpful

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Fantastic!!!

Superbly written and incredible story.
One of the best books I’ve had the pleasure to listen.

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3 people found this helpful

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Not worth spending money on

This read like propaganda for the Rothschilds, never the less it had some interesting parts. If you can get it for free it’s worth listening to.

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2 people found this helpful

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Engaging read but dubious sentiment

The reader manages to imbue the text with the right amount of unctousness and therein lies my problem with the book: it is astoundingly antisemitic. It purports the old clichés of the scheming, obsequious, devious jew. In the chapters about the family founder the author describes Meyer Rothschild as having an octopus-like way of doing business, planning, counter-planning and counter-counter-planning. His sons he sends out like hardened business sharks while he sits like a spider in his web in Frankfurt, beguiling the local ruler.
This all sounds like distressingly familiar rhetoric.

So despite the authors entertaining way to present a family's history the polemic turn of phrase is rather off-putting.

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13 people found this helpful

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Banking

I found this family portrait fascinating. I learned how the family became bankers and the way they managed their business.

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Wow boring descriptions of super rich

I wanted history but instead got a biographer gushing over luxurious details that got boring fast.
Cancelled my audible membership because I couldn’t return it

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5 people found this helpful