The House of MorganThe House of Morgan
Score Modern
What it's about
Ron Chernow tells the story of the Morgan bank across a century and a half, from its beginnings in London in the 1830s through J. Pierpont Morgan, who single-handedly rescued the U.S. economy in the panic of 1907, to the firm's role in two world wars, the Depression and the rise of modern finance.
Why it's worth reading
It won the National Book Award and is on the Modern Library list of the best nonfiction. Chernow, later the author of the biography behind Hamilton, makes banking a human drama.
You'll love it if you liked
Lords of Finance: The Bankers Who Broke the World
Den of Thieves
The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, and PowerGood to know
It's very long and detailed. Some financial background helps.
By the numbers
- Readers34 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics84 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller6 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #149 of the 198 history books we rank
- #179 of the 290 memoirs and biographies we rank
- #625 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #1184 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story
More by Ron Chernow
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Grant
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Quick answers
Is The House of Morgan worth reading?
Yes. It won the National Book Award and is on the Modern Library list of the best nonfiction. It ranks #1,184 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 71.0 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The House of Morgan about?
Ron Chernow tells the story of the Morgan bank across a century and a half, from its beginnings in London in the 1830s through J. Pierpont Morgan, who single-handedly rescued the U.S. economy in the panic of 1907, to the firm's role in two world wars, the Depression and the rise of modern finance.
How long does it take to read The House of Morgan?
About 21 hours (848 pages), or about 6 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has The House of Morgan won?
National Book Award (Nonfiction) winner (1990).
What should I read after The House of Morgan?
If you liked it, try Lords of Finance: The Bankers Who Broke the World by Liaquat Ahamed, Den of Thieves by James B. Stewart or The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, and Power by Daniel Yergin.