He was born in
Cape Town in
South Africa in May 1919, and educated at the
University of Cape Town. For many years he was a professor at the
London School of Economics. He was a part-time member of the
Monopolies and Mergers Commission from 1966 to 1978, and author of many books and articles, including one on the economics of underdeveloped countries co-authored with
Peter Thomas Bauer. Yamey's interest in rational economic decision-making led him to study historical
accounting records. Yamey rejected the claim by
Werner Sombart that the
double-entry bookkeeping system was a pre-condition, or at least an important stimulating factor, for the emergence of modern
capitalism. Yamey combined his interest in
Accounting History with his love of art (he was a trustee of the
National Gallery, London from 1974 to 1981 and of the
Tate Gallery, London from 1978 to 1981) in his book
Art & Accounting, a richly-illustrated survey of paintings portraying commercial scenes and business-people. He died in November 2020 at the age of 101. ==Selected bibliography==