Why read The Rich?

Book cover of The Rich: From Slaves to Super-Yachts: A 2,000-Year History

Book description

From the Orwell Prize shortlisted author of Freedom for Sale, The Rich is the fascinating history of how economic elites from ancient Egypt to the present day have gained and spent their money.

Starting with the Romans and Ancient Egypt and culminating with the oligarchies of modern Russia and China,…

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Why read it?

1 author picked The Rich as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Guido Alfani

Author

Among all recent non-academic books on the lives, deeds, and misdeeds of the super-rich across history, John Kampfner’s book is, in my view, the best.

Kampfner selects fascinating examples, ranging from the Classical Age until today, and does not limit himself to the West. His narrative is engaging and often witty.

This is not an academic book, but it is pretty well-researched. Although it makes some concessions to the “eat the rich” tendencies of our times, overall, the book provides a convincing and valuable picture of the sins (and less so, of the virtues) of the most affluent across history.

From Guido's list on The best books about the rich, the super-rich, and wealth inequality in general.