Rich

From the Roman Republic to Roman Abramovich, this compelling book shows how a tiny number of the super-rich have controlled the economics and politics of their eras, be they the Pope's banker Cosimo de' Medici or the robber baron turned philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. From Norman knights and Spanish conquistadors to today's oligarchs and oil sheiks, the rules have stayed the same: how they made their money - by skill, luck or sheer ruthlessness - is irrelevant once they've reached the top.