From medieval Venice to modern Wall Street, Robin Wigglesworth uncovers the a sweeping, unveiling story of the bond market. With clarity and wit, this is a people’s history of finance: rich in drama, full of colourful characters, and bursting with insights.
Bonds have funded everything from the Crusades to climate tech, Netflix series to AI data centres. Pooling capital from citizens and merchants at an unmatched scale, they have been the hidden force behind some of humanity’s highest achievements and greatest calamities. This isn’t just a book about the past. It’s a guide to the future of the finance, and a love letter to the engine that keeps it running.