A.P. Giannini and the Bank of America (Oklahoma Western Biographies): Gerald D. Nash
Editorial Reviews
From Library Journal
Giannini, the son of Italian immigrants, started a small bank in California in 1904 that would one day grow into the Bank of America. Called “A.P.” by both friend and foe, Giannini was a feisty, hardworking entrepreneur who came to banking after a successful career as a produce merchant. Founding a new bank in the post-gold rush climate of California might have seemed foolhardy for someone with virtually no banking experience, but it was right in character for Giannini. While experiencing such cataclysmic events as the San Francisco earthquake of 1906, the Great Depression, and World War II might have destroyed lesser men, both Giannini and his bank thrived and grew. How a small San Francisco savings bank catering to immigrants evolved into a multinational financial institution as guided by Giannini makes for an engaging and often enthralling story. Recommended for all public libraries and special libraries with banking collections.
- Richard Drezen, Merrill Lynch Lib., New York
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.