1929: Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History and How It Shattered a Nation, by Andrew Ross Sorkin, is a number one New York Times bestseller that retells the 1929 stock market crash as a human drama of greed, denial, and the seductive belief that this time is different. Published in October 2025 by Viking, the 592 page narrative history comes from the author of Too Big to Fail.
What is 1929 about?
The book is an immersive account of the crash that tipped the United States into the Great Depression, told through the people who lived it. Sorkin populates the story with speculators, bankers, and the skeptics who saw the danger coming and were dismissed, including figures like Charles Mitchell and the trader Jesse Livermore. It reads with the pace of a thriller while carrying the depth of a serious history, the same formula that made Too Big to Fail a landmark.
Sorkin is uniquely placed to tell it. He is a New York Times journalist, a cofounder and the force behind DealBook, a co anchor of CNBC's Squawk Box, and a co creator of the drama series Billions, so the worlds of high finance and storytelling are both familiar terrain.
Why is it resonating now?
The book lands at a moment that rhymes with its subject. Markets are soaring, an artificial intelligence investment frenzy is in full swing, and the old refrain that this time the rules do not apply is everywhere again. Reviewers have drawn direct lines between 1929 and the present debate over whether the AI boom is a revolution or a bubble, which gives a century old story uncomfortable immediacy.
The acclaim has been broad. It was named one of Barack Obama's favorite books of 2025, a New York Times Notable Book, and a best book of the year by The Washington Post. Not every reaction was glowing, and some critics argued Sorkin was too forgiving of the bankers at the center, a fair point worth weighing as you read.
Who is this book perfect for?
This is a natural fit for anyone drawn to markets, financial history, or the psychology of speculation and crowd behavior. Readers who loved Too Big to Fail, or the work of Michael Lewis and Ron Chernow, will recognize the narrative nonfiction style immediately.
It also works as a cautionary blueprint. Investors and founders trying to understand how bubbles inflate and how warning signs get ignored will find a detailed map drawn from the most studied crash in history, delivered in a form that actually keeps you turning pages.