Revolution -- America sails East -- Commerce in a world at war -- America's re-export boom -- Merchant millionaires -- Beyond the British empire -- The India trade -- America's China and Pacific trade -- Death of the India monopoly -- American capital and corporations

"Unassuming but formidable, American maritime insurers used their position at the pinnacle of global trade to shape the new nation. The international information they gathered and the capital they generated enabled them to play central roles in state building and economic development. Deeply and...