Blood Money: The Swiss, the Nazis and the Looted Billions

by Tom Bower

This work reveals the role played by the Swiss banks and the Swiss government in exploiting World War II and the Holocaust to their financial advantage; a role which included helping the Nazis to hide and sell their loot siezed from occupied Europe, and stealing the deposits made in those banks by Jewish individuals and organizations. The book is supported by leading campaigners such as Senator d'Amato, Chairman of the US Banking Centre and the Simon Wiesenthal Centre.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

Paperback

First published March 26, 1997

About the author

For the author of works on child development, see T.G.R. Bower

Tom Bower (born 28 September 1946) is a British writer, noted for his investigative journalism and for his unauthorized biographies.

A former Panorama reporter, his books include unauthorised biographies of Tiny Rowland, Robert Maxwell, Mohamed Al-Fayed, Geoffrey Robinson, Gordon Brown and Richard Branson.

He won the 2003 William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award for Broken Dreams, an investigation into corruption in English football. His joint biography of Conrad Black and Barbara Amiel Conrad and Lady Black: Dancing on the Edge was published in November 2006, and an unsuccessful libel case over a passing mention of Daily Express proprietor Richard Desmond in the book was heard in July 2009.

An unauthorised biography by Bower of Richard Desmond, provisionally entitled Rough Trader, awaits publication. Bowers's biography of Simon Cowell, written with Cowell's co-operation, was published on 20 April, 2012.

Bower is married to Veronica Wadley, former editor of the London Evening Standard, and has four children.

Reviews

[Roger Woods · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting account of how Swiss bankers aided the Nazis during and after the Second World War including receiving property confiscated from Jews in the Holocaust. It wasn't until 1997 that the Swiss bankers finally admitted this and created a fund for recompense. As this book was published in 1997 it is now dated as I would have liked to have known how the story continued to the present.

[Jason Vicknair · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just not great, didn’t really grab you or bring you anything of substance. However, good read in terms of the background, shadiness and greed that took place during one of history’s saddest periods. The greed and stealing of gold & money from the Jews is atrocious, and the writer was very descriptive, deliberate and defensive of the acts during this time.

[Jen Thomson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The use of time to drive the narrative sets up a powerful picture of how people were treated by bankers in Switzerland. I find it hard to reconcile the projected image of Switzerland with the conduct of the Swiss Government and bankers.

I learned a lot from this book: the financial aspects of war are not often laid out in popular media. It's a must read and truly educational. It's written in an easy going style however at some points I had to go back and check who the people where in different sections. The complex nature of the cross country aspects were challenging to absorb but not a major stumbling block. In most parts the author introduces the background of the people involved and explains their motives.

Blood money is an apt title.