In 1929, Andrew Ross Sorkin, the author of Too Big to Fall -the definitive history of the 2008, banking crisis, follows a similar people-centred recipe to retell a much older tale of financial hubris and nemesis: the great crash that began in 1929 in the US but which when stretched out in waves of repeated panic for several years and across many countries. Sorkin reveals the tale of its ugly aftermath, as panic moved from Wall Street to Main Street with the Great Depression of the 1930s and the sweeping regulatory response to these cascading crises.

In 1929, the world watched in shock as the unstoppable Wall Street Bull market went into a freefall, wiping out fortunes and igniting a depression that would reshape a generation. But behind the flashing ticker tapes and panicked traders, another drama unfolded- one of visionaries and fraudsters, titans and dreamers, euphoria and ruin.

With unparalleled access to historical records and newly uncovered documents, New York Times bestselling author Andrew Ross Sorkin takes readers inside the chaos of the crash, behind the scenes of a raging battle between Wall Street and Washington and the larger-than-life characters whose ambition and naivete in an endless boom led to disaster. The dizzying highs and brutal lows of this era eerily mirror today’s world – where markets soar, political tensions mount, and the fight over financial influence plays out once again.

This is not just a story about money: 1929 is a tale of power, psychology, and the seductive illusion that “this time is different”. It is about disregarded alarm bells, financiers who fell from grace, and skeptics who saw the crash coming- only to be dismissed until it was too late.

Hailed as a landmark bool, too Big to Fall reimaged how financial crises are told. Now with 1929, Sorkin delivers an immersive electrifying account of the most pivotal market collapse of all time- with lessons that remain as urgent as ever. More than just a history, 1929 is crucial blueprint for understanding the cycles of speculation, the force that drive financial upheaval, and the warning signs we ignore at our peril.

1929: The Inside Story of the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History by Andrew Ross Sorkin, Viking $35/ Allen Lane £30, 592 Pages.