The Bank of England

The Bank of England - the Old Lady of Threadneedle Street - has played a crucial if sometimes little understood role in the life of the nation for over 300 years. Financer of wars, issuer of notes, lender of last resort, watchdog of the City, and most recently as a powerful shaper of economic policy - in all these roles its action and decisions have had far-reaching consequences.

Now a distinguished group of historians and economists have come together to assess the major themes in the Bank's history: its relationship with government; its impact on the British economy; its position in the City of London; and its role in the international banking and monetary system. Shorter and more accessible than existing histories, yet just as authoritative, the book also offers a fascinating overview by the Deputy Governor (Rupert Pennant Rea) who looks at all of the themes discussed and offers some thoughts about the Bank's future.

Contributors include: D. Kynaston, A. Cairncross, P.