Edmund de Rothschild: A Gilt-Edged Life: Memoir

There is no doubt that the author, as the eldest direct male descendant of N.M. Rothschild, founder of the London branch of the famed German-Jewish banking concern, has lived through interesting times. Unfortunately, his plodding chronological reconstruction and stilted prose (""A period of general rest and relaxation followed, though equipment had to be cleaned and maintained and we had to undergo a certain amount of training based on our recent battle experiences"") convey little excitement. Rothschild, who was born in 1916, recounts a London childhood and weekend visits to the family's estate at Exbury, where his father cultivated beautiful gardens. His WWII career, which included a stint as commander of a unit in the British Jewish Brigade, was followed by a career as a junior then a senior partner at N.M. Rothschild and Sons. In his many trips to Japan he opened many financial ties to bankers and businessmen, but these sections betray a certain stereotypical thinking as when he notes that ""few Japanese think for themselves."" Although he married happily twice and had two children, he refrains from expressing any emotions relating to his family life and barely mentions the death of his first wife. The most expressive writing in this rather dull chronicle deals with the joy the author has found in carrying on his father's gardening vocation by cultivating hybrids at Exbury. (Aug.)