The Money Men Lib/E: Capitalism, Democracy, and the Hundred Years' War Over the American Dollar

From the first days of the United States, a battle raged over money. On one side were the democrats, who wanted cheap money and feared the concentration of financial interests in the hands of a few. On the other were the capitalists who sought the soundness of a national bank--and the profits that came with it. In telling this exciting story, H. W. Brands focuses on five "Money Men" Alexander Hamilton, who championed a national bank; Nicholas Biddle, whose run-in with Andrew Jackson led to the bank's demise; Jay Cooke, who financed the Union in the Civil War; Jay Gould, who tried to corner the gold market; and J. P. Morgan, whose position was so commanding that he bailed out the U.S. Treasury. The Money Men is a riveting narrative, a revealing history of the men who fought over the lifeblood of American commerce and power.

About the Author :
H. W. Brands taught at Vanderbilt University and Texas A&M University before joining the faculty at the University of Texas at Austin, where he is the Dickson Allen Anderson Centennial Professor of History. A writer on American history and politics, his books include Traitor to His Class, Andrew Jackson, The Age of Gold, and The First American. Several of his books have been bestsellers, and two, Traitor to His Class and The First American, were finalists for the Pulitzer Prize. He lectures frequently on historical and current events, and can be seen and heard on national and international television and radio programs. Lloyd James (a.k.a. Sean Pratt) has been a working professional actor in theater, film, television, and voice-overs for more than thirty years. He has narrated over one thousand audiobooks and won numerous Earphones Awards and nominations for the Audie Award and the Voice Arts Award. He holds a BFA degree in acting from Santa Fe University, New Mexico. Lloyd James (a.k.a. Sean Pratt) has been a working professional actor in theater, film, television, and voice-overs for more than thirty years. He has narrated over one thousand audiobooks and won numerous Earphones Awards and nominations for the Audie Award and the Voice Arts Award. He holds a BFA degree in acting from Santa Fe University, New Mexico.

Review :
[Lloyd James is] always easy to listen to, bringing history alive as stories while avoiding melodrama and making sure the facts come across.-- "AudioFile" "Brands, historian and author, identifies five Americans who played critical roles in America's formation of a monetary system and hence the history of this country from 1776 until the eve of World War I." -- "Booklist" "With dramatic stories like that of Jay Gould's manipulation of the gold market, Lloyd James gets to do more than recite facts. He's always easy to listen to, bringing history alive as stories while avoiding melodrama and making sure the facts come across." -- "AudioFile"