These papers are the outcome of the 2001 Anglo-French business history conference organized by the London School of Economics. They provide a long-term perspective on the development of London and Paris as financial centers, particularly in the years before 1914 and at the end of the 20th century. The papers include both archive-based and synthetic surveys and address such topics as the impact of British imperialism on London, and banking alliances and the Paris capital market. The comparisons of Europe's two leading capital cities by banking and economic historians also offer insights into the political economy of Britain and France in the 20th century and the history of international financial centers.