The Square and the Tower

Networks and Power, from the Freemasons to Facebook

By: Niall Ferguson

Narrated by: Elliot Hill

A brilliant recasting of the turning points in world history, including the one we're living through, as a collision between old power hierarchies and new social networks

Most history is hierarchical: it's about emperors, presidents, prime ministers, and field marshals. It's about states, armies, and corporations. It's about orders from on high. Even history "from below" is often about trade unions and workers' parties. But what if that's simply because hierarchical institutions create the archives that historians rely on? What if we are missing the informal, less well documented social networks that are the true sources of power and drivers of change?

The 21st century has been hailed as the Age of Networks. However, in The Square and the Tower, Niall Ferguson argues that networks have always been with us, from the structure of the brain to the food chain, from the family tree to freemasonry. Throughout history, hierarchies housed in high towers have claimed to rule, but often real power has resided in the networks in the town square below. For it is networks that tend to innovate. And it is through networks that revolutionary ideas can contagiously spread. Just because conspiracy theorists like to fantasize about such networks doesn't mean they are not real.

From the cults of ancient Rome to the dynasties of the Renaissance, from the founding fathers to Facebook, The Square and the Tower tells the story of the rise, fall, and rise of networks, and shows how network theory - concepts such as clustering, degrees of separation, weak ties, contagions, and phase transitions - can transform our understanding of both the past and the present.

Just as The Ascent of Money put Wall Street into historical perspective, so The Square and the Tower does the same for Silicon Valley. And it offers a bold prediction about which hierarchies will withstand this latest wave of network disruption - and which will be toppled.

©2018 Niall Ferguson (P)2018 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“Captivating and compelling. Whether describing the surprisingly ineffective 18th century network of the mysterious Illuminati that continue to be the subject of crank conspiracy theorists or the shockingly effective 20th century network of Cambridge University spies working for the Soviets, Ferguson manages both to tell a good story and provide important insight into the specific qualities that power successful networks.” (The New York Times)

“Remarkably interesting...always surprising and always thought-provoking in the places and entities it chooses to pause and examine, everything from the Mafia to the Soviet Union of Stalin.... The Square and the Tower, in addition to being provocative history, may prove to be a bellwether work of the Internet Age.” (Christian Science Monitor)

"Niall Ferguson has again written a brilliant book.... His short chapters are lucid snapshots of a world history of Towers and Squares, filled with gracefully deployed learning.... The Square and the Tower is always readable, intelligent, original. You can swallow a chapter a night before sleep and your dreams will overflow with scenes of Stendhal’s The Red and the Black, Napoleon, Kissinger. In 400 pages you will have restocked your mind. Do it." (The Wall Street Journal)

Flawed but entertaining and thought provoking

Others have pointed out this is not thorough enough to be considered a historical reference and I agree. However if taken as a entertaining and thought provoking means of changing the readers paradigm regarding several well known historical events then I think it succeeds. There is a lot left out of this book to be sure, but in simplifying the network/ hierarchies, their components, and effects, it makes it accessible to people like me. In my experience this is what Ferguson does well.

Average Niall

One inch of depth on a defining topic. Niall is a literary Lamphrey on the Great White of events. His wit is better suited to morning shows than long form—which he tends to squander with repetition and consensus conclusions. Listen on 2.5x — 3x, you won’t miss anything useful.

Outstanding, dense and engaging!

Nial Ferguson is perhaps my favorite modern day historian and he never fails to deliver a vivid picture of his writing.

Good history but...

... but the author never extrapolates on the effects of each of the networks he highlights throughout the book.

Leaves you hungry for more insight.

History from a different focus

Niall Ferguson writes a style that is lively, interesting and informative without being stuffy. What he has to say makes you think and strive to read more of both his publications and other historians. In my case they give me a soundness and provoke thinking in a time when reality TV stars get to be president and our society continues bring dumbed dow.

Good but not GREAT

Interesting but a bit dry. Go for it if you're familiar with N. Ferguson, but I wouldn't recommend it as your 1st introduction to his writing.

Informative but just too much detail

it's easy to get lost with all the names and events that the author described. i think a second listening is warranted. the listener may also want to do supplemental readings especially about the world wars and the characters involved. all in all it's a worthwile listen. to the author, i think you can remove a lot of the details without losing the lesson.

I finished this book the week Trumpist's attacked

every American should read this and understand the historical perspective of what is happening in our country today.

A good read, listen. dense and full of facts.

all of his work is exceptional, weaving a story across events and people which is the way I like to learn.

Niall F. develops brilliant insights into patterns of history

Whether you agree exactly with every element of his thesis, this book is a tour de force of the application of socio-historical understanding and interpretation to the analysis and assessment of broad contemporary trends. This work helps the reader developer the skills associated with strategic pattern and policy analysis that’s applicable today.

I had the privilege of meeting Prof. Ferguson once in Cambridge and observing his thoughtful and incisive thinking.