The history of luxury – from Roman villas to Russian oligarchs – is explored in a new book written by Peter McNeil and Giorgio Riello. A story of extravagance, excess and indulgence, Luxury: A Rich History considers how opulence has developed from antiquity to the 21st century.

In an article for History Extra, Riello focuses on the history of American wealth, revealing how American fortunes bankrolled the 19th-century British aristocracy. Read the full article on the History Extra website.