"The story of the largest currency union in world history and its creation at the hands of the Holy Roman Empire. Providing a historical perspective on multilateralism, the book makes early monetary policies widely accessible and draws a vivid picture of economic and political life in a country...

Niall Ferguson follows the money to tell the human story behind the evolution of finance, from its origins in ancient Mesopotamia to the latest upheavals. To Christians, love of it is the root of all evil. To generals, it's the sinews of war. To revolutionaries, it's the chains of labor. But...