The Rothschilds: A Family Portrait

by Frederic Morton

Rare Book

Genres: History, Biography, Nonfiction, Economics, Finance, Politics, Business

360 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1962

About the author

Frederic Morton (born Fritz Mandelbaum) was a Jewish Austrian writer who emigrated to the United States in 1940. Born Fritz Mandelbaum in Vienna, Morton was raised as the son of a blacksmith who had specialised in forging imperial medals. In the wake of the Anschluss of 1938 his father was arrested but later released again. In 1939 the family fled to Britain, and the following year they migrated to New York. Morton said that back in 1940 his father decided, with a heavy heart, to change their family name to Morton in order to join an anti-Semitic labor union. Frederic Morton first worked as a baker but from 1949 studied literature. In 1951 he visited Austria again for the first time after the war, and in 1962 he returned, this time to Salzburg, to marry his fiancée, Marcia, whom he had met at college. From 1959, Morton worked as a columnist for several American periodicals including The New York Times, Esquire, and Playboy . He died in Vienna ,at the age of ninety, on April 2015

Reviews

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Only three stars because mostly a vanity piece. The guy is apparently completely oblivious to their role in fostering one world gov. The richest banking family in the world. Interesting.

[Guy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The language is very flowery and exuberant. If you aren't extremely well-versed in more arcane English language, you might have a tough time with this one. Keep the dictionary nearby.

This is a good book to read if you want to understand why and how family dynasties rise. The 'how' is a little light. Details on instilling the value of family first the Rothschild way are lacking. I'd be really interested in that. Except the part where they mostly marry 2nd and further-removed cousins, sometimes 1st cousins.

The book ends in the 1960's, of course. I'd like to read something more updated that follows the family to today.

[B. Asher · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book, one that I've read at least three times in the past. It's about the Rothschild dynasty but it seems to me more a book about luck, being in the right place at the right time and seizing the opportunity

[Bill Wallace · Rating 3 out of 5]

There sure is a lot of history here that I didn't know, an alternate, behind-the-scenes account of the 18th and 19th centuries where the rise and fall of government security values shape the movements of armies and the unfolding of revolutions. Those chapters of the book are good, though not as stellar as Morton's historical accounts of Austria and the Habsburgs. Less amusing are his fawning accounts of the glorious wealth of the present-day Rothschilds written with the pen of a dazzled admirer. In general, this book makes me want to read a more unbiased account of the role of international banking in the great events of the last 250 years, one written by someone with a less rosy attitude toward the vicious manipulations of capitalism and a more critical view of the super rich.

[Kay]

Oh dear. I gave up on this one about thirty pages in and am filing it under "50-page rule," where I place books that I can't bear to finish after making a sincere effort at the start. I am astonished, frankly, as some years ago I read Morton's two books on Vienna, A Nervous Splendor and Thunder at Twilight, greatly enjoying both. Morton's style is florid and emotional, but here I think he doubles down and becomes, in addition, fawning.

I have an abiding interest in this subject, so I will go back and reread Miriam Rothschild's Dear Lord Rothschild, which centers on her uncle Walter and Tring, a family estate. Perhaps later I will venture into Niall Ferguson's two-volume opus on the Rothschild dynasty.

But honestly, I just couldn't keep reading this book as it was making me lose all respect for Morton. Perhaps it gets less fulsome and rococo in later chapters, but the opening reminded me of the decorating style known as Le Goût Rothschild, an extravagant mishmash of marble, velvet, parquet, stucco, brocade, silver, gilt, and heavy wood paneling. It's not to everyone's taste; most certainly not mine.

[Jose · Rating 3 out of 5]

As in the case of Rockefeller or JP Morgan it is difficult to find a biography that writes a more likely version of true facts. This book is no exception and it reads like an eulogy.
No mention to the family being the Vatican's bankers or their relationship with JP Morgan. Or the abismal profit from war. Or their grip on good part of the media though it is still 1969 and I am not sure they already owned the likes of The Economist.
It is an authorized bio and because of this had access to family documents which is not bad.
But it is a very family friendly text. Don't expect any detailed info on business or anything of the kind.

[Cameron · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rags to riches story that spans two hundred years and several generations, about one of the most powerful families in the world. There is no mention of Illuminati or any of that sort of hullaballoo but it does discuss the families involvement with building Jewish settlements in Palestine, building the first railroads in Europe, some old stock market tricks and even extending credit to burgeoning Canada and the United States, as the family heirs spread out over time. The author writes objectively though it seems he favors some members of the Rothschilds family more than others.

[Scott Wozniak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating story of a family that rose from a single man living as a poor, discriminated minority to the most powerful family in Europe. The kings and nobles changed the rules to please them as they determined who rose and fell by controlling the flow of money in almost all the capital cities. Over two centuries later they are still running some of the biggest banks in the world and are a cohesive family.

It’s well written and felt like a drama novel at times. And as someone who helps families build legacies that last, this was a great case study on what to do (and what not to do).

[Blaine Mackinnon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written and worth the read to get a perspective of how global economics works. Not too technical.

[Lyn Sweetapple · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent family biography

[Liedzeit Liedzeit · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the kind of book I loved reading when I was young. Non-fiction that reads like a novel.
The story of the incredible Rothschild family. It is not overly detailed, only 300 pages, but it gives you an idea how they made their fortune and what influence they had in Europe especially in the 19th century.

The most amazing thing is that all of the five sons of the founder of the dynasty were equally talented to continue the work started by their father. That is to make a lot of money. The best story is about Nathan who headed the English division of the family who made a fortune in the aftermath of Waterloo when he knew about the outcome before anybody else. Unfortunately Wikipedia says the story is not true. Well, a pity.

Reading the book I certainly did not trust the author entirely. According to him all the members of the family were too good to be true. Instead of making money by triggering wars they are said to have tried everything to avoid wars to happen. (And again, Wikipedia says, that was held against them.)

So Nathan saw that there was money to be made fron railways. He was to late in England to participate but he made his brothers to start investing in Austria and France.

Beside the five sons there were also five daughters. But the family was strict no business for women. And no position even for the husbands of the women. Everything for the family, and they started marrying their cousins. That seems to have done no harm for a couple of generations.

I liked reading this a lot. I do not trust the book but I did learn everything I ever wanted to know about the Rothschilds.

[Vicky Cole · Rating 2 out of 5]

This 1961 publication traces the Rothschilds’ rise to financial pre-eminence - within two generations - from the Frankfurt ghetto of the 18th century into the mid-20th century.

Be prepared for a strangely burlesque narrative style. I found this grating – presumably it was designed to be ‘readable’ and perhaps to mirror the quality of chutzpah which the author ascribes quintessentially to the family. Frustrating, too, is the superficial portrayal, with a touch of comic opera metaphor, of some sensitive and critical transactions along the way. These tantalise without revealing the true subtlety behind some of the brothers’ outstanding successes.

The commercial acumen and ambition of the early scions is thoroughly established but as a ‘family portrait’ it’s disappointing. The relentless focus on extravagant opulence is wearing and belies the more interesting reality of these men: their aesthetic and scientific pursuits, collecting interests, religious conviction, political and philanthropic endeavours. These are mentioned in passing only to be subjugated to yet more accounts of excessive luxury and imperious eccentricity.

At best the book is a helpful overview, pointing the reader to those incidents and associations where they might further explore the talent and influence of the Rothschilds in European and world affairs.

[Dann Reid · Rating 3 out of 5]

Saw this in the local used book store and was giddy.

Perhaps I overlooked the subtitle "A Family Portrait" and expected more of an exposé than Rothschild propaganda. There are barely any dirty bits and that's what I wanted.

The history seems fine and worth reading about. What I did learn is the current line is from the females of The Family (the author capitalizes this, too, as if it was The Mafia).

There's a quote from Gutle Rothschild about her sons and if they don't want war, there won't be war. I suppose a whole book could be written about that.

What the author reveals is the Rothschilds are keenly adept at manipulation and concealing their fingerprints from that manipulation.

The rating is as much my disappointment that there's not more dirt. This was authorized by The Family so of course it's not going to offer that.

If it was just a puff piece it might be 5 stars. I have to wonder what was going on in the world in 1960, '61, and '62 that such a book was necessary? It reads like damage control for damage we don't know about.

[Stefanie Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book outlines many of the stand-out people in the Rothschild family. The family begins their rise to extreme prominence with Mayer Amschel Rothschild, a court factor for the royals. (Despite being a European History major, I had never heard of the term court factor before reading this book, so I was glad to have learned at least one new thing. For those who are reading this and do not know what that is, it is a Jewish person who controlled the finances.) He established his own bank, and left his wealth to his sons. The family continued to expand into different business ventures, make a lot of connections, and manage to become one of the most wealthy and powerful families in history. This book has a ton of information in it. It was well researched, and I learned a lot about this family. Highly recommend if you are interested in family dynasties and their philanthropy and reach throughout the decades.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Since we live near to several of the Rothschild properties I thought it would be interesting to read this, then I found the audiobook. Since I am experimenting with audiobooks a bit this year -- and really enjoying them as another way of learning and reading (particularly non-fiction), I gave it a go. I have to say that the narration was rather dry and a bit of a slog at times -- not the most exciting delivery. The biography (group biography?) itself is comprehensive if nothing else and it paints an interesting, broad picture of this far-reaching, influential and accomplished family.

[Daniel Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you want to learn more about the Rothschilds, this book is a good place to start. I learned much about the Rothschild "origin story" and how they gained influence that has lasted many generations. Technically, this book is well written and documented but there were some places that I found were a little dry. But it piqued my interest of learning more so I would say the author did a great job of creating interest.

[Mike Y · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've heard about the Rothschilds, of course, but did not know much of their story, so this seemed like something that would be fun to learn about. It was quite good and weaves through a lot of European History. The writing was pretty rich, but at times obscure and even poetic. This occasionally distracted from the storytelling, but it was entertaining. A neat little book that I enjoyed a lot.

[Christa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very dated book written in the 60s, however I learned a lot about the history of the Rothschilds family and how it started its rise to power and maintained it. I knew they were influential but not how very historically influential they really were behind the scenes. An updated version of this book would be very interesting to read with a more modern perspective.

[John Geddes]

Found in the Bibliography of A.K. Chesterton's New Unhappy Lords under Section C of the books "written by authors either unaware of the implications of the policy-pattern described in "The New Unhappy Lords" or aware of the implications and approving of them."
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

[Laura Parkes · Rating 1 out of 5]

Took me forever to get through this book. Incredibly bias. There wasn't one sentence that wasn't just kidding Rothschild ass. Couldn't take this book to be a serious biography. Makes me question how much of their family story is truth.

[David Madden · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Rothchilds by Frederic Morton is one of the finest books I have ever read, extremely witty, well-paced, based on thorough research. Sorry it had to end. Published in 1954, so I wish follow up book existed.

[Scott Townley · Rating 1 out of 5]

I abandoned it, something I rarely do. How many merchant deals can you read about, in a context where Morton often seems to propagate semitic stereotyping in an uncritical way, before you lose interest? Nope, fabulous wealth is not enough of a topic to keep a reader going.

[Yvonne Lacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very readable, a fascinating subject I didn't think I'd care to read about . But this is a great history of a family that didn't seek publicity (at least before the late 20th century) and that influenced European politics in almost unbelievable ways.

[Nicole]

I DNF'd this book.

I've read a lot of history books that mention a Rothschild so I was looking forward to a book about the whole family... this was too much. Just too many names and dates and places, I wanted a story of their life, this felt like a timeline of events.

[Lirazel · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the most interesting story and delightfully written. I enjoyed it so much.

[Jonathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mildly interesting

[Pablo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Muy buen libro sobre la historia de esta familia, sin la pavada de la teoría conspiranoica

[Kent Sturcken · Rating 3 out of 5]

well crafted. Of manageable length and quite readable.

[Seth · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn’t learn nothing, but it was also pretty high level and uninteresting.