The Speculator of Financial Markets: How Financial Innovation and Supervision Made the Modern World

The book illustrates financial markets from the point of view of their subjectivity, namely by analysing one of the most prominent figures among market operators: the speculator. Whereas many textbooks or monographs are strictly devoted to the analysis of financial law or history, this book tells a remarkable story based on markets’ boom-bust, expectations, banks’ fragilities, market sentiment, desires, and dreams. In light of this, D’Alvia provides unique financial knowledge and delivers a book that constitutes an outstanding introduction to the topic of the speculator through its historical account and its evolution till modern days. Academics, lawyers, financial regulators, and retail and qualified investors should save a space for it on their shelves.

Daniele D’Alvia is a Lecturer in Banking and Finance Law at Queen Mary University of London, Centre for Commercial Law Studies (CCLS). He is an Associate Research Fellow at the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies in London, and Associate Researcher at the European Banking Institute in Frankfurt.