What's more, I want to reveal financial history as the essential back story behind all history. Banks financed the Renaissance while the bond market decided wars. Stock markets built empires and monetary meltdowns made revolutions. From Ancient Mesopotamia right down to present day London the ascent of money has been an indispensable part of the ascent of man. But money's rise has never been a smooth, upward ride. As we all see, financial history has repeatedly been interrupted by gut-wrenching crises of which today's is just the latest. From the fluctuating prices of the homes we own to the high-speed industrialisation of China, the power of finance is everywhere we look And it affects all of our lives.编辑于2024/01/09更新