First published 1941
Men of Wealth: The Story of Twelve Significant Fortunes from the Renaissance to the Present Day
Men of Wealth: The Story of Twelve Significant Fortunes from the Renaissance to the Present Day by John T. Flynn is available as a free PDF and EPUB download at freecapitalists.org.
- John T. Flynn
- First published
- 1941
- Format
- PDF and EPUB
- Pages
- 568
- ISBN
- 9781610160544
- Publisher
- NY: Simon and Schuster
- License
- Believed to be in the public domain: this work was published in the 1932-1963 window when US copyright had to be renewed after 28 years, and no renewal was found in the Catalog of Copyright Entries. Not independently confirmed.
History & biography The state & socialism
This book reminds us what a remarkable writer and journalist John T. Flynn truly was. It is a first-class business history, by any standard. It is the story of great fortunes made by the most notable men of wealth in history: Jacob Fugger, John Law, Nathan Rothschild, Thomas Gresham, Robert Owen, Cornelius Vanderbilt, and all the way through J.P. Morgan and J.D. Rockefeller.
But there is a special twist to the story: the author understands economics and the state, so he has a special eye for ferreting out the difference between market means and unjust means of acquiring wealth. The stories are all fascinating and the prose is impeccable.
Truly, one is tempted to say that this book is a masterpiece, and it certainly should be a staple in business economics. The tragedy that this 1941 book was ever out of print is mitigated by this wonderful new edition from the Mises Institute.
What gave rise to such an amazing treatise? It was the New Deal itself. As an old-time progressive, Flynn was scandalized by the extent of the involvement of large corporate America in the regimentation of FDR. He knew what so many "liberals" refused to face: the New Deal was really a version of corporate fascism dressed up in the guise of populist economic policy.
This fact made Flynn curious about the relationship between the state and the rich throughout history. Rather than merely bemoan events, he got to work on this research project. He discovered that it was always complicated: the wealthier classes have been entrepreneurial in both great and evil ways. He illustrates how in these biographical essays, which teach history in light of 20th century economic events.
This book is also a reminder of what remarkable journalists were once working and writing in this country. Flynn manage to combined scholarship, economic understanding, mature analytics, and a dashing style to create an irresistible package.
Men of Wealth from Mises Media on Vimeo.
Questions
About this book and this copy
- Is Men of Wealth: The Story of Twelve Significant Fortunes from the Renaissance to the Present Day free to download?
- Yes. The complete 568-page PDF and EPUB downloads directly from this page (30.4 MB). There is no signup, no account and no paywall.
- How long is Men of Wealth: The Story of Twelve Significant Fortunes from the Renaissance to the Present Day?
- 568 pages, 20 chapters, and about 184,039 words in the edition this archive serves.
- Is Men of Wealth: The Story of Twelve Significant Fortunes from the Renaissance to the Present Day in the public domain?
- Believed so. US works published between 1932 and 1963 kept copyright past 28 years only if someone filed a renewal, and no renewal for this work was found in the Catalog of Copyright Entries. That is a search result rather than a legal opinion: a renewal filed under a shortened title or a different claimant would not have been found. Some copies carry a rights notice, which records the original claim and does not extend a term that lapsed.
- Who wrote Men of Wealth: The Story of Twelve Significant Fortunes from the Renaissance to the Present Day?
- John T. Flynn (1882–1964) was a journalist, author, and master polemicist of the Old Right. He started out as a liberal columnist for that flagship of American liberalism, the New Republic, and wound up on the Right, denouncing "creeping socialism." What is… This archive holds 9 of Flynn's works.
What's in it
20 chapters · 184,039 words · free to read here
- Foreword
- I. Fugger the Rich: Organizer of Capitalism
- II. John Law: Money Magician
- CHAPTER III The Rothschilds IMPERIALIST BANKERS
- Interlogue One: I. Cosimo De’ Medici
- II. Sir Thomas Gresham
- III. Jacques Coeur
- IV. The Art And Industry Of Make-Up
- V. Writers As Money-Makers
- CHAPTER IV Robert Owen THE REFORMER
- V. Cornelius Vanderbilt: The Rail King
- CHAPTER VI Hetty Green THE MISER
- VII. Mitsui: The Dynast
- VIII. Cecil Rhodes: Empire Builder
- IX. Basil Zaharoff: The Warmaker
- CHAPTER X Mark Hanna THE POLITICO
- CHAPTER XI John D. Rockefeller THE BUILDER
- CHAPTER XII J. Pierpont Morgan THE PROMOTER
- Index
- About the Author
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