The Global Merchants

A tale reminiscent of Thomas Mann’s Buddenbrooks … Not only is this a powerful human story but it also carries contemporary resonance in a time when great fortunes are again being made – Stefan Wagstyl * Financial Times *The engrossing story of the meteoric rise and calamitous fall of the Sassoons, set against the backdrop of peak British imperialism … what a scintillating show it was while it lasted, as this vivid and richly researched book reveals – Justin Marozzi * The Sunday Times *A very readable, sensitive and original account of a remarkable family, deftly weaving together the history of the business, the history of the family and their place in the wider history of Britain, India and China – David Abulafia * Spectator *Logan Roy might do well to read The Global Merchants for tips … a tale of commercial derring-do and dissection of the paperwork, the exigencies of calm, but rapid, decision-making that could could lead to boom or bust – Paul French * South Morning China Post *

Joseph Sassoon is Professor of History and Political Economy at Georgetown University, a Senior Associate Member at St Antony’s College, Oxford and a Trustee of the Bodleian Library. His ancestors were forcibly separated from the Sassoons of this book early in the nineteenth century, but he is fluent in the languages they spoke and the obscure Judeo-Arabic script - indecipherable to previous historians - they used in their private communications, which are the foundation of this book.