Manias, panics and crashes: a history of financial crises

Introduction

Financial crises : a hardy perennial

The anatomy of a typical crisis

Speculative manias

Fueling the flames : the expansion of credit

The critical stage : when the bubble is about to pop

Euphoria and paper wealth

Bernie madoff : frauds, swindles, and the credit cycle

International contagion 1618-1930

Bubble contagion : Mexico City to Tokyo to Bangkok to New York, London, and Reykjavik

Euromania and Eurocrash

Policy responses : benign neglect, exhortation, and bank holidays

The domestic lender of last resort

The international lender of last resort

The Lehman panic : an avoidable crash

The lessons of history

Epilogue.