The South Sea Bubble: An Economic History of its Origins and Consequences

摘要

Even before it had ended, the South Sea Bubble of 1720 was already more than an economic problem. Since then it has become a morality tale about the perils of greed, an example of the madness or delusions of crowds, or a case study in unchecked market cycles and the use (or abuse) of financial institutions. Helen Paul argues that she is one of the first to combine these three separate strands into an integrated analytical study, in order to set the Bubble within its wider financial, commercial and social contexts. This is an ambitious aim for a slim volume of just under 120 pages, once the footnotes, glossary and index are removed. Indeed, the first four of the ten chapters are an extended methodological and historical introduction, and although by no means extraneous they also leave only about 70 pages for the analysis and conclusion.