The Greatest Show on Earth

The Greatest Show on Earth is a fascinating history of the bond market and how it has shaped the world, by Financial Times Alphaville editor and author of Trillions, Robin Wigglesworth.

The global bond market is bigger than the stock market, standing at about $133tn at the end of 2022, making it significantly larger than the whole global banking system which in comparison is only worth $100tn.

This book will be the first to truly knit together the full 1000-year history of the original system of ‘decentralised finance’. Wigglesworth will show how bonds shaped the world and slowly but surely supplanted banks as the dominant engine of modern credit-based capitalism. Through a vivid and personality-driven narrative with a cast of characters going back to 12^th century Venice – featuring everyone from the first Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton to toupeed junk bond maestro Mike Milken – The Greatest Show on Earth will explore the story of the bond market right through to the present day and look at the pressing implications this has for us all. Wigglesworth will bring an often-recondite corner of the world to light, making it accessible for people both inside and outside the financial realm.