Chapter 1. Introduction: The Origins and Fundamentals of Banking -- Chapter 2. The Medici Family: Bankers of the Renaissance (14th and 15th century) -- Chapter 3. Corporations, Stock Exchanges and the Amsterdam Bank of Exchange (Late 16th and 17th century) -- Chapter 4. Goldsmith Bankers and The Birth of the Fractional Reserve System (17th and early 18th century) -- Chapter 5. John Law: The Lord of Paper Money (late 17th and early 18th century) -- Chapter 6. The Rothschilds: The Global Financial Empire (18th and 19th century) -- Chapter 7. J.P. Morgan: The Banker Who Saved America (19th and 20th Century) -- Chapter 8. The Ottoman Bank: State Bank of the Empire (19th and 20th Century) -- Chapter 9. The Rise (and Fall) of National Banking Champions (19th, 20th and early 21st Century) -- Chapter 10. Citibank: A National Champion Going Beyond Limits (20th and early 21st century) -- Chapter 11. Conclusion and General Discussion.

This book provides an overview of monetary history from the perspectives of the financial intermediaries who shaped it. Starting from the Knights Templar and ending with contemporary national banking champions, it presents several case studies that demonstrate how banks from around the world have revolutionized both their operations and the markets they operate in. The text holds a plea for democratic and transnational financial intermediation systems. It appeals to students and scholars of economic history as well as to anyone interested in the history of banking and finance.