Ambitious in scope, this history is presented in three volumes, and material is arranged chronologically: from Christopher Columbus to the Robber Barons, 1492-1900 (v.1); from J.P. Morgan to
the institutional investor, 1900-1970 (v.2); from the age of derivatives into the new millennium, 1970-2001 (v.3). The narrative is a packed recounting of events; and it’s essentially
non-critical. Few thematic threads are discernible; in fact, an encyclopedia format might have better served the material for researchers in various fields. Although the indexes provide
starting points, of course, information on companies, people, events, and time periods could have been presented in discrete entries, arranged either alphabetically or thematically, rather than
in a chronological narrative. The lack of a mention of Enron or the Enron debacle (the books went to press before the bankruptcy and the investigation), and at least one wrong page reference in
the index, indicate the need for a supplement or revision in the near future. Markham, who teaches corporate and international law at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, has worked
as an attorney with an international law firm, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the Chicago Board Options Exchange, and the Securities and Exchange Commission. Annotation c. Book News,
Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
