The Warburgs - Ron Chernow

A story of brilliant achievement, dazzling personalities and human frailty set against the dark background of European racism and paranoia.

The Warburgs were bankers, patrons of the arts, scholars, socialites, philanthropists and politicians. This Jewish family from Westphalia became a German success story, and embraced German culture with a passion: they loved the art, music and literature of their country and never wavered from their patriotic identification with their homeland. They advised a German Kaiser; their American cousins advised two presidents. Their investment bank still exists and is one of the oldest in the world. The Warburgs endowed libraries, built mansions and collected paintings. But in 1933 the family became a prime target of the Nazis and the world they knew came crashing down.