Human bondage

"Beginning in the strange and chaotic world of war financing, this program explores the origins and development of bond trading. Historian Niall Ferguson presents profiles of military backers and bankrollers through the centuries, linking their activities to the rise and fall of governments, the volatile fortunes of their constituents, and the fluctuations of global markets. Viewers will learn about Sir John Hawkwood, the 14th-century condottiero, or military contractor, whose investments steered campaigns in Pisa and Florence-as well as the storied Rothschilds family, which played a financial role in conflicts from Waterloo to the American Civil War. The ramifications for today's bond market are also studied."--Container.