See also papers in SH Archive Financial Institutions box 1.

Very poor hodge-podge of a history. The author never really makes up his mind whether this is to be some sort of history of the Lehman Brothers firm, the Lehman family, or both. As the author of a book on the history of the United Fruit Company, he does his absolute damndest to work in that firm whenever possible, out of all proportion to its importance in the Lehman Brothers history. If you have read other books on the collapse of Lehman Brothers, frankly, the story is told better there; the last few chapters read like a cut-and-paste from other works. There's also a few strange editorial glitches that pop up here and there (my "favorites" are when Samuel Goldwyn is made to look like an MGM executive in the 1960s, and this phrase: "RCA, however, could not interest none of the big studios...") Go elsewhere if you want a coherent history of the firm. ( )

Lehman Brothers (Subject)

Choice
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Editor/journalist Chapman (Financial Times) provides, in ten chapters, a compelling history of Lehman Brothers. The book begins with Henry Lehman's 1844 arrival in the US from Bavaria. Henry, with his two brothers, Emanuel, who arrived in 1847, and Mayer, who arrived in 1850, established Lehman Brothers in Montgomery, Alabama, as an "itinerant peddler" and cotton brokering operation. The firm, which became one of the leading investment banking institutions, filed for bankruptcy in 2008. The word "imperious" in the title is more applicable to the last CEO, Dick Fuld, whose arrogance and authoritative management style doomed Lehman Brothers after 158 years of existence. In addition to providing an account of the firm's history, the book examines its contributions in other areas. Not only was Lehman Brothers involved in the launching of many early-20th-century companies (e.g., RCA, Campbell Soup, Sears, Roebuck and Company, Underwood Typewriter), but Mayer's son Herbert, a former partner at Lehman, became lieutenant governor, governor, and senator from New York. In 2006, two years before the sad close of this American company, Lehman Brothers suffered its demise with "borrowings [that] amounted to some $480 billion.. Overall, a fascinating history of a well-known business institution. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Academic and general readers, all levels. E. M. Tinoco University of Southern California ( )