A history of British financial crises since the Napoleonic wars, providing an account of the main crises from 1825 until the credit crunch of 2007-8. The book examines role of the Bank of England as lender of last resort and the successes and failures of crisis management. The scope for reducing the risk of future systemic crises is assessed. The book will be of interest to students, market practitioners, policymakers, and general readers interested in the debate over banking reform.