On the Panic of 2007: My Journey from Economics to History and Back Again

The financial crisis of 2007-2008, which I insist on calling a “panic” for reasons that this article explores, can only be understood with an interdisciplinary approach that combines history and economics. For the last forty years, I have studied financial crises from both vantage points. In this brief memoir, I provide an overview of my path through these disciplines and relate it to financial crises, as well as some controversial episodes in both history and economics, including macroeconomics and cliometrics.