The Warburgs: The Twentieth-Century Odyssey of a Remarkable Jewish Family

4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars | 687 ratings

Price: 29.53

Last update: 01-02-2025


About this item

Bankers, philanthropists, scholars, socialites, artists, and politicians, the Warburgs stood at the pinnacle of German (and, later, German American) Jewry. They forged economic dynasties, built mansions and estates, assembled libraries, endowed charities, and advised a German kaiser and two American presidents. But their very success made the Warburgs lightning rods for anti-Semitism, and their sense of patriotism became increasingly dangerous in a Germany that had declared Jews the enemy.

Ron Chernow's hugely fascinating history is a group portrait of a clan whose members were renowned for their brilliance, culture, and personal energy yet tragically vulnerable to the dark and irrational currents of the 20th century.


Top reviews from the United States

  • Metallurgist
    5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific!
    Reviewed in the United States on March 6, 2012
    While less well known than his later biographies of George Washington and Alexander Hamilton, this book stands equal to them. Rather than a biography of a single man this is the biography of a most extraordinary family and their impact on banking and the history of the twentieth century. This is a terrific book and one that I recommend without reservation. Chernow tells a very complex story in the tradition of a great novelist, without sacrificing any of the historical details that define the picture of a family whose story mirrors the triumphs and tragedies of the 20th century.

    The book traces the history of the Warburg family from the 16th century to the 1990's, with the emphasis on the 20th century. The story is told through the biographies of many of its members, focusing on the brothers Aby, Max, Paul, Felix and Fritz, their sons and nephews. Individual chapters cover individuals, interwoven and progressing through the 20th century. There is the scholarly eldest brother, Aby, who exchanged his birthright for the promise of being provided all the books he desired (and created one of the world's greatest private libraries), the next eldest brother Max who autocratically ran the familie's Hamburg bank, the next brother Paul who made his mark in the US (providing the banking expertise behind his idea for the US Federal Reserve System), Felix who also made his mark in the US (both as a banker, but even more so as a philanthropist) and on to the youngest Fritz who served in both the Prussian and American Armies, and eventually fought to revive the Warburg position as preeminent Hamburg bankers. The book follows these brothers and their nephew Sigmund who made his mark in the US, in Great Britain (becoming Sir Sigmund) and in Europe after WWII. The book also discusses the sons of these brothers, their wives and other relatives. Fortunately, there are several pages of genealogy charts which help in keeping all the relationships between family member straight and many photographs that help flesh out the many stories that are discussed.

    Were the book just about the history of the family members it would have been very good, but it is about much more. The book is about the turmoil of 20th century Germany, about how this family suffered and recovered. It is about family members who were loyal to their adopted homes in the US and Great Britain, but still, before the 1930's, had strong emotional ties to Germany. It tries to explain how some in the family still had warm feeling for Germany, in spite of what happened to them in the 1930's. It is about how Fritz left his comfortable life in the US to return to Germany to reestablish their stolen Hamburg bank, but also to serve as a bridge between Germany and the rest of the post-WWII world. It is about strong men with sons who often failed to live up to their high expectations. It is about loyalty, deceit, struggle, success and failure. It is a cautionary tail about the evolution of 20th century politics and war, as well as about banking. In short this is a terrific book.
  • J. Allston
    5.0 out of 5 stars Well Worth the Lengthy Read
    Reviewed in the United States on October 16, 2023
    Enjoyed this book. Ron Chernow writes well, captures personalities and researches extensively. I went to Woodlands High School on an estate donated by the family. These were brilliant people who stood by their values and convictions while facing anti-semitism with grace and courage.
  • Howard Schulman
    4.0 out of 5 stars I wish it had been done better
    Reviewed in the United States on April 25, 2016
    I imagine I'm going to get unhelpful votes by saying this, but this biography was not up to par with the author's other biographies. I've read Titan, which I thought was great, House of Morgan, which was really good, and Hamilton, which was also good, and this book just isn't up to those other books.

    The beginning was very frustrating because we learn about this supposedly very successful and widely acclaimed and established German banking family, yet there is practically nothing concerning how they got to be well known and exceedingly wealthy, nor what their business dealings were at the time. And this lack of information goes on and on, focusing almost to exclusion on inter-personal issues.

    Looking up the Warburgs in Wikipedia, I learned that the family had been a very successful banking family from the 1600's back in Venice, even before they settled in Warburg, Germany. Starting the narrative in the mid to late 1800's with the success of Jews in what was to become Germany just left me hanging and feeling like I was missing a large part of who the Warburgs were and how they got that way.

    Additionally, the family had been around for a very long time and there are scattered references to visiting or staying with uncles and aunts, but the overall breadth of the family is not addressed.

    Thinking about his problem now, it almost would make more sense and read better if there was a short intro and perhaps 10 separate bios on separate family members, instead of skipping around. It would help the flow. I have a feeling the author's inability to read German or Swedish or other European languages and his lack of primary research in Europe, where the Warburgs achieved fame and fortune, contributed to this incomplete biography.

    On the other hand, it appears that not much had been written on the Warburgs prior to this book (at least in English), and that is why I read the book. Additionally, the whole build up to the Holocaust and how the Warburgs kept their warm feelings for Germany throughout the experience, as a constant theme, was very interesting and well done, especially since I'm Jewish. The reading got more focused and poignant the closer the Holocaust got and immediately afterwards.

    3 or 3.5 stars is probably the best score, but will upgrade so I don't get canned too badly. If you're interested in the Warburg it's a good starter book, though I imagine if this weren't one of the first books Chernow wrote, he would have done a better job as a more mature and accomplished biographer.
  • Barry, Toronto
    5.0 out of 5 stars A brilliant family, cultural and business history
    Reviewed in the United States on November 23, 2021
    What starts out as the personal and business history of a deeply religious and close family, expands into a study of the disintegration and continued importance of family, religious and cultural ties, the sources of anti-semitism and a window into some of the most dramatic moments of war and peace in the 20th century. Brilliantly researched, and interestingly written, it touches on topic after topic of importance, without pretence, and without either glorifying or deprecating the many contributions of the many Warburg family members it follows. Deserving of some high award, for sure!
  • Yankee Hacker
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great experience!
    Reviewed in the United States on May 21, 2024
    Turned out to be a signed copy which wasn't even in the description!
  • Spartan mom 2012
    5.0 out of 5 stars Unpacks Nazi rhetoric & makes it relevant to today
    Reviewed in the United States on February 24, 2018
    Ron Chernow’s best book ... unpacks Nazi rhetoric and makes it relevant to today. While I read his other books, honestly this book was far more impactful. I realized how little I knew about specific families and citizens in Germany during the rise of the Third Reich. While the Warburg family was extremely wealthy and atypical, they were very savvy yet still were very aligned to country which caused them to underestimate what was happening in Germany. I love to read about US leaders, but by reading this, realized I need to get out of US history and into global history. Also, while the Warburg brothers were the main focus, I appreciated focus and development of the important woman in the narrative.

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