Synopses & Reviews
The Bank of England's imminent tercentenary (July 1994), coming as it does with the future status of the Bank a subject of much discussion, is an apposite moment to offer an overview of the Bank's history as a whole. This collection of essays is the first attempt to identify the most important themes of the institution's history and put them in a long-term perspective. The main pieces will deal with the Bank's relations with government, its impact on the British economy, its role in international central banking, its position in the City of London, and its changing composition and management. In addition, in a piece likely to cause considerable interest, the Deputy Governor (Rupert Pennant Rea) will be looking at all these themes in a contemporary light and offering some thoughts about the Bank's future. Added value is given by two main appendices: a detailed chronology of the Bank's history; and a comprehensive listing of its governors, directors, and senior officials. In sum, this is a book that meets a clear intellectual need, while also being extremely convenient for those unwilling or unable to embark on the circa 2600 pages of the three main official histories.
Contributors: D.Kynaston, A.Cairncross, P.Cottrell, R.Roberts, E.Hennessy, R.Pennant Rea, R.Pringle, and H.Bowen.
Review
"This collection of essays appears at a critical moment in the bank's history, when the issue of its independence from government is being fiercely debated."--Financial Times
"This wide-ranging institutional survey will be useful to readers interested in British economic history or banking."--Choice
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. [298]-304) and index.
About the Author
Richard Roberts is the author of the history of Schroders, and the editor of a series of studies of international financial centres. David Kynaston is the author of histories of the Financial Times, Cazenove, and the City of London.
Table of Contents
Introduction
1. The Bank of England in the 18th Century, Bowen
2. The Bank of England and the Government, Kynaston
3. The Bank of England and the British Economy, Cairncross
4. The Bank of England and International Central Banking 1694-1970, Cotterell
5. The Bank of England and International Central Banking 1970-1994, Pringle
6. The Bank of England and the City of London, Roberts
7. The Governors, Directors, and Manahement of the Bank of England, Hennessy
8. The Bank of England: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, Pennant Rea
Appendix 1: Chronology 1694-1994
Appendix 2: Governors, Directors and Senior Officials 1694-1994
Appendix 3: Sayer on the Bank Rate