John Maynard Keynes: 1883-1946: Economist, Philosopher, Statesman

The name Keynes or Keynesian economics is mentioned almost every day in financial and political publications. However, very few of the commentators actually talk about who Dr. Keynes was or how his thinking about economics developed and changed over time. Seldom is he given credit for developing the school of economics know and macroeconomist. Instead, his name is usually mentioned with government spending and huge deficits to finance public works projects.However, Keynes and his economics philosophies are about much more than what is talked about today. In fact, Keynes did believe in running budget deficits during recessions. However, he also believed that during boom times, governments should run surpluses to pay down the public debt--a point that is often overlooked by today's commentators.Mr. Skidelsky presents an excellent overview of the life of one of the most influential thinkers in economics. I especially enjoyed the chapters that dealt with Dr. Keynes during the Second World War and how he helped that British manage the finances for the war.Overall, the book is very good and I recommend it to anyone who is interested in economics or finance.

Best book ever written on Mr. Keynes. The attention to detail was awesome. The explanation of complex economic theories in historical context was exemplary. The highest encomiums for the author. I would definitely recommend this book.

One of the best books I have ever read, long read, but was very sad when the book was done.

exellent book even if not easy to finish it

so much has being said about Keynes but here you get an in depth study about this fascinating intellectual, great book.

The printing on many pages was smeared. It could be read, but with difficulty. Quality control in the printing should have been better.

Excellent copy, as described

This is what you might call a nice, workman-like march through the life of JM Keynes. It was a valuable read for me because I learned and re-learned a good bit about events on the world stage from about 1910 through Keynes's death just after WWII. I also got a tangential refresher on Bloomsbury. As to economic theory, I didn't learn much. Not at all because I was already up on Keynes and demand management and such. No, Skidelsky is not a professional economist- he does not spend his days at the university commons or the IMF cafeteria, chewing over the fundamental ideas of economic theory. So it just hasn't sunk into his bones so deeply that he can easily state the basics in clear, complete and simple terms. Of course, this may chalk up to my shortcomings as a reader, but I was motivated and re-read carefully, and quite frankly the mumbo jumbo didn't always add up. Also, Skidelsky does spend much time thinking about Keyne's sexuality. Maybe that is a wise professional choice in that it would have required a lot of ethereal philosophising. Still, during his youth, Keynes was a committed and in many ways open homosexual. Next thing you know he marries a woman and lives happily with her for the next 20 plus years. It points up some fascinating questions about the range of human sexuality and its biological and social determinants. Skidelsky doesn't really ask them. Too bad. I mean, I ive in 2016 America when so many people easily accept the humanity of gay people, and so many others are uncomfortable with homosexuality, and so much is in flux. It would have been pretty timely but Skidelsky stays on the surface.

Wonderful mixture of bloomsbury and economics... well written by an insider...Delivery excellentThank you to all.

I am impressed by the sheer amount of research and care, knowledge and wisdom that has gone into this very important subject. I approached this work because I felt I needed to know more about one of the greatest of economists. The work requires some concentration and cannot be taken lightly. But it repays the time taken to absorb the subject matter. A very satisfying work, a masterpiece. I will look forward to reading it again.

武漢ウイルスに伴い、図書館が閉鎖されてもう2か月。amazonでは国内の新刊や中古は出荷されているようだが、海外出荷は停止になっているようだ。となると必然的に長年積読になっていた本を読まざるを得ない。というわけで、Robert Skidelskyの「John Maynard Keynes: 1883-1946: Economist, Philosopher, Statesman」を取り出してくることと相成った。これは10年ほど前、金融危機の時に読み始めて、５００ページ（全体で850ページ）ほどは読んだのだが、そこで中断したままになっていた作品。今回の世界恐慌危機を前にして、再びこの作品を読むことになったのは皮肉だ。どういうわけか、いつも経済危機の時期（1998、2009、2020）にskidelskyのケインズの伝記を読む羽目に陥るようなのだ。これはもともとskidelskyの三部作の最後を飾る予定だった作品だったようだが、当初は一冊で予定されていたのだが、一筋縄ではいかない多面的な人物であったケインズ、結果として以下の三巻本となったようだ。実に20年以上にわたるライフワークなのだ。全巻合わせると、おそらく本文（注や参考文献などを除く）だけで、1400ページを超えているのでは。vol1: John Maynard Keynes: Volume 1: Hopes Betrayed 1883-1920 (1983)vol2: John Maynard Keynes: The Economist As Saviour, 1920-1937 (1992)vol3:John Maynard Keynes: Fighting for Freedom, 1937-1946 (2001)お恥ずかしいことに、実はこのvol.1は1998年に読んでいるのだ。ただ中身はあまり覚えていない。あちこちにラインマーカーが引かれている。ただその後は、読み続ける気力を失っていたようだ。ところが、欧米ではよくあることなのだが、この種の何巻にも分かれている大著は、その後に縮刷版（abridged edition)がよく出るのだ。ま、学者でもない普通の読者が、1000ページ以上も付き合うことはできないという当たり前の現実を反映しているのだろう。たとえば、Ian Kershewの「Hitler」（2000ページ）、ＪJoseph Frankの「Dostoevsky」（2000ページ）、Toyenbeeの「歴史の研究」なんかがその代表例だ。というわけで、2009年に、この縮刷版に飛びついたというわけだ。とはいえ、この縮刷版でさえ、850ページという代物で、あえなく、1937年の時点で中断していた。今回再び読み始めるに当たり、だいぶ迷ったのだが、もう一度最初からの挑戦はあきらめ、前回中断した時点からの読書となった。というわけで、時代は第二次大戦直前からケインズが亡くなる1946年までが対象だ。第一巻はケインズの哲学、第二巻はケインズの経済学が対象となっていたが、この三巻では、これらの知的武装を完成させたケインズがどのようにして英国の国難の時期に実務家としてかかわっていったとかいう描写が焦点となる。具体的には、まず戦争遂行のための金融、つまり戦費調達のための彼の貢献が対象となる。すでに経済的な苦境に陥っていた英国はこの第2次大戦に参戦することにより、名実ともにデフォルト直前の経済的な破綻状態に直面することになる。このような状況でただ一つの救いはアメリカからの援助ということになる。アメリカは参戦することなく、とはいっても英国が負けても困るわけで、Lend-lease協定の下で武器を供給することになる。よくアメリカと英国は「special relationship」といわれる独特な友好関係にあるといわれるのだが、この破綻した状態に陥った英国に援助を与える代わりに、米国は徹底的に英国の足元を見て、戦後をにらんで、強硬な条件を付けるのだ。それはスターリング・ブロックの解体（対米資産の売却、将来の自由貿易へのコミットやポンドの交換制復帰そして植民地放棄）につながるであろう厳しい条件。そしてそれは、究極的には英帝国の崩壊につながることになる。この負けが確定していると思われる状況の中で、条件闘争の役割を負わされたのがケインズなのだ。彼は戦費調達だけでなく、戦後のブレトン・ウッヅ体制構築への作業の中でも、おのれの持つすべての武器（頭脳、ユーモアや皮肉を含めた交渉力、名声）をすべて動員してアメリカ側と厳しい交渉を続けるのだが、結局のところ、英国やケインズのアイデアが生かされることはなく、アメリカの利害を反映した国際経済・金融システム、いわゆるブレトン・ウッヅ体制が出来上がるのだ。そして戦争が終わり、lend-leaseが終了した英国を待ち受けていた国際収支の危機はアメリカからの借り入れを英国に余儀なくされる。ケインズはここでも再び舞台への登場を余儀なくされ、冷戦の開始の前の状況下で、英国はまたしても屈辱的な条件をアメリカに強制されることになる。ケインズは結局のところ、この一連の大西洋を越えた米国との交渉により、その心身を疲弊させることとなり、その寿命を縮めることになったのだ。このいわゆる第三巻でのケインズの姿は惨めなものだ。その理論を実行に移すことはかなわず、悲劇的ともいえる役割を演じさせられるのだ。ケインズほどのいつも「上から目線」で世の中を見渡してきた人物が、なぜ人生の最後にこのような役割りを演じる羽目に陥ったのか。それはつまるところ英国の国力の低下に由来する。しかしケインズがなぜこのような負ける戦いにその心身をすり減らしたのか。これをnoblesse obligeと一言で片づけるのは簡単だが、この部分の解明は、第一巻のテーマでもあるケインズの哲学と密接に関連する部分である。そして再び疑問として浮かび上がるのが、20世紀の英国の対外政策。経済的な破産に陥ることが確実な戦争へなぜ突入する羽目に落ちったのか？それとも知らないうちにのっぴきならない場所へ追い込まれてしまったのか？ちょっと前に、winston churchilいう映画が公開されていたが、相変わらずのチャーチル神話をなぞる作品で、とてもじゃないが見る気にはなれなかった。今回は、縮刷版のレヴューといいながら、結局は本書の後半三分の一の部分に話は偏ってしまった。ケインズの若き日の哲学と美意識を語るには、もう一度skidelskyのvol.1を読むことが必要なようだ。

An outstanding and meticulously researched biography which is also a panorama of the period 1880-1950 in the UK.

This book does a grand job of summing up a very complex and multi faceted man. Skidelsky has a knack for picking out just the right quote to illuminate the motivations and character of the various people involved in Keynes' story. Sometimes he adds his own speculations which I find very well judged and helpful in understanding the dynamics of the various events.If the readers fairly new to Keynes I recommend reading some of Keynes' own work first, especially 'Economic Consequences of the Peace' and perhaps 'Essays in Persuasion' - together with the material in Skidelsky's book this should help bring the great man to life.Despite being fascinated by the subject, this book took a while to read. The author goes to no particular effort to enhance the drama of the story, which I guess aids the understanding but means the books isn't as gripping or fast paced as it could be. Most of the book is ordered chronologically, with chapters jumping between Keynes' struggles to get his ideas accepted by both the political and academic elite, his social life, his philosophical and other personal interests, and the time he spent devoted to his wife, family and estate. This approach is great for giving us a taste of what it was like to be Keynes but it makes it harder to follow particular areas of interest. If youre interested in the man as an economist, I recommend you also read Minksy's 'John Maynard Keynes' for his analyses of Keynes' influence from a practical and political perspective, or Gordon Fletchers brilliant and very readable 'Keynesian Revolution and its Critics' for more on how Keynes' work was received academically. Skidelsky's work remains the no 1 choice for understanding Keynes as a man, for those interested in the period, and for folk interested in understanding important battle in the high level war of ideas that is an ever present feature of Western Civilisation.One small area where Skidelsky maybe looses a little perspective is when recalling Keynes last year where he possibly focuses a little too much on the great mans failing health and declining skills. Although Keynes didn't enjoy resounding success in his negotiations with the Americans, he was in many ways at the peak of his powers during his last year, and he knew it to. As he said to Hayeck when reassuring him over worries of the state becoming too strong, Keynes advised he could change world wide public opinion in a flash if need be. Its tragic he died before he could spell out the specific policies hed advise to bring about a "moderate socialising of investment" - something he probably only had sufficient influence to do successfully by the mid 40s.And that's about as far as I can fault this most excellent work. Skidelsky has a new book on Keynes' revival during the current downturn coming out in September. Cant wait!