International Finance

Hartley WithersProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.0

Word count: 205K words
Chapters: 21

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.International Finance by Hartley WithersAuthor: Withers, Hartley, 1867-1950,Language: English, Class: HG: Social sciences: Finance, Release Date: Apr 1, 2004

Editor's review

This book, International Finance, is a popular introduction to international finance written by the British financial writer Hartley Withers in the early twentieth century, now reissued by Project Gutenberg as a public-domain ebook. Its value lies not in offering current market data or practical techniques, but in presenting a first-hand observation of a key stage in the formation of the international financial system: how the gold standard, exchange rates, international lending, and capital flows were understood and discussed at the time. Withers writes for the general reader and is skilled at unpacking complex financial mechanisms in everyday language; his prose carries the composure and argumentative flavor characteristic of the era, so readers gain both historical knowledge and a sense of how financial ideas evolve with reality. As a public-domain reprint, it is better suited as reading material for financial and intellectual history than as a modern finance textbook. It rewards slow reading in a quiet setting, ideally with some basic knowledge of the economic landscape around the First World War.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in the history of international finance and the economic landscape of the gold standard era
Those who wish to understand the causes of exchange rates and international capital flows from a historical perspective
Finance and economics students using it for extensive reading in the original English and as supplementary historical material
General readers who enjoy learning how financial ideas evolved through popular works

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking to learn contemporary foreign exchange trading practice and investment strategies
Professionals who need the latest international financial data, case studies, and policy analysis
Readers with limited English proficiency who would struggle with early twentieth-century English prose

Reading tips

Begin with the table of contents and preface to grasp the author's overall framework for discussing international finance, then proceed chapter by chapter.
While reading, refer to the basic historical facts of the post-World War I international economic order to understand the real-world context of the discussion.
When encountering terms such as the gold standard and exchange rates, consult financial history sources and make brief notes.
Compare the book's views with contemporary international financial phenomena, but be mindful of the differences between eras.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book suitable as an introductory textbook on international finance?

Not really. It is a popular work from the early twentieth century discussing issues under the gold standard and international lending system of the time, and it lacks the theoretical framework, policy tools, and market cases of modern international finance. As an introductory textbook it could give readers outdated notions; it is better positioned as supplementary reading in financial and intellectual history.

What level of English is needed to read this book?

The language is generally aimed at the general reader and the sentences are not especially difficult, but the book was written long ago, so some expressions and word choices bear the marks of the era, and it involves financial terminology. Readers with university-level English reading ability who are willing to look up a few terms should be able to finish it without a professional finance background.

What is the relationship between this book and Project Gutenberg?

The book is distributed by Project Gutenberg as a free ebook. Project Gutenberg is an early ebook project founded by Michael Hart in 1971, dedicated to providing public-domain ebooks. This version is therefore a public-domain reprint: the content is the original text, without modern introductions, notes, or exercises.

What practical help can readers get from this book?

It mainly helps readers understand the historical formation of the international financial system and the prevailing ideas of the time, fostering a sense of historical depth. If you expect it to guide current exchange-rate judgments, cross-border investment, or policy analysis, its help is limited; you should read modern works on international finance and the latest materials instead.

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About the author

Hartley Withers Author · British · 1867–1950

Hartley Withers (1867–1950) was a British financial journalist and writer. He served as city editor of The Times and as editor of The Economist from 1916 to 1921. He was known for explaining money, banking and wartime finance in an accessible style, making specialised financial subjects understandable to general readers, and he wrote works including The Meaning of Money and International Finance. Three of his works are held in this collection: besides the financial titles War-Time Financial Problems and International Finance, there is also The Cathedral Church of Canterbury, showing that his writing interests were not confined to economics. Overall, he combined a journalist's practical concern with a public-facing manner of writing, and his works offer a useful reference for understanding British financial opinion in the early twentieth century.