One Nation Under Gold

How One Precious Metal Has Dominated the American Imagination for Four Centuries

By: James Ledbetter

Narrated by: Jonathan Yen

Worshiped by Tea Party politicians but loathed by sane economists, gold has influenced American monetary policy and has exerted an irrational influence on the national psyche for centuries. It is an existential quest that extends to today, as millions of investors remain entranced by the metal and as right-wing presidential candidates present it as the antidote to our economic woes. Acclaimed author James Ledbetter traces the origins of our national obsession, revealing how gold's sacred status dates from precolonial days when conquistadors fanatically searched the New World for the gilded city of El Dorado. From William Jennings Bryan's legendary Cross of Gold speech of 1896 to FDR's ban on private gold ownership to Nixon's 1971 decision to float the dollar and detach it from gold, Ledbetter's "really superb treatment" (Julian Zelizer) expertly explores the controversies around this hallowed metal, investigating for the first time what our centuries-long fixation ultimately reveals about the American identity.

©2017 James Ledbetter (P)2017 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Must read history of gold on US and world monetary system

Very nice read covering the role of gold in US Economy from the gold rush to the gold working group established during Regan years to restore gold standard. You learn in convincing details why the $ cannot be tied to gold in any way.

Fascinating!

Fascinating history of gold in the US! James Ledbetter's expansive grasp of history in this area is nothing short of amazing. Captivating from start to finish.

Good basic book

The book provides a broad over view and the key monetary crisis through American history. The book did not provide me with any revelations or interesting solutions to our current monetary issues (i.e. The Fed creating trillions of dollars of new money to fund our governments massive defect spending). I'm glad I read it for historical perspective, but the book didn't change my life.

A very interesting look at our gold history.

It was a very well written and performed book. Although, it could be a little overly technical. I would definitely recommend it for anyone interested in Finance, gold, or history. I'll probably end up listening to it again.

this guy is full of crapola.

I wonder what he thinks now with BRICS forming a gold backed currency and about to add 81 new members? needless to say his assertions did not age very well. And it didn't take very long to find that out. what? 5 years? he must be on the payroll of JP Morgan.