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Fur, Fortune, and Empire

The Epic History of the Fur Trade in America

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Fur, Fortune, and Empire

Written by: Eric Jay Dolin
Narrated by: Tom Weiner
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About this listen

From the best-selling author of Leviathan comes this sweeping narrative of one of America’s most historically rich industries. Beginning his epic history in the early 1600s, Eric Jay Dolin traces the dramatic rise and fall of the American fur trade industry, from the first Dutch encounters with the Indians to the rise of the conservation movement in the late 19th century.

Dolin shows how the fur trade, driven by the demands of fashion, sparked controversy, fostered economic competition, and fueled wars among the European powers as North America became a battleground for colonization and imperial aspirations.

The trade in beaver, buffalo, sea otter, and other animal skins spurred the exploration and the settlement of the vast American continent, while it alternately enriched and gravely damaged the lives of America’s native peoples.

Populated by a larger-than-life cast, including Dutch governor Peter Stuyvesant, President Thomas Jefferson, America’s first millionaire John Jacob Astor, and mountain man Kit Carson, Fur, Fortune, and Empire is the most comprehensive and compelling history of the American fur trade ever written.

©2010 Eric Jay Dolin (P)2010 Blackstone Audio, Inc. Economics Investing & Trading United States Colonial Period War German Empire History
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What the critics say

“[An] absorbing story…Dolin, author of the acclaimed Leviathan: The History of Whaling in America, offers another good history well told.” ( Publishers Weekly)
“A delightful history, reminding readers that while noble ideals led to the settling of the United States, the fur trade paid the bills.” ( Kirkus Reviews)

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Detailed Overview

This book covers the entire fur trade from its inception to its slow demise. It offers many in-sites into the relationship of man and beast and the ever changing demand for fur throughout the fur trades long history. Very well researched and flows nicely, however it can get a little dry in spots. A must read however, if you are interested in anything from Hunting to Americana.

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