"Superb . . . the best one-volume economic history of the United States in a long time and, perhaps, ever." — NewsweekIn this illuminating history, John Steele Gordon tells the extraordinary story of the world's first economic superpower. He shows how the American economy became not only the world's largest, but also its most dynamic and innovative. Combining its English political inheritance with its diverse, ambitious population, the nation was able to de...

John Steele left his family and home at the tender age of 16 to join the Royal Navy. In a select branch of only 200 men he subsequently qualified as the youngest Mine Clearance Diver at that time. He then moved on to a life as an oilfield commercial diver and for 22 years worked in the unforgiving depths of the North Sea and the Persian Gulf.In 2004 a new industry was opening up and following an intense period of re-education he secured a job with one of the largest private securit...

John Steele left his family and home at the tender age of 16 to join the Royal Navy. In a select branch of only 200 men he subsequently qualified as the youngest Mine Clearance Diver at that time. He then moved on to a life as an oilfield commercial diver and for 22 years worked in the unforgiving depths of the North Sea and the Persian Gulf.In 2004 a new industry was opening up and following an intense period of re-education he secured a job with one of the largest private securit...

The colorful story behind one of America's greatest monuments and of the ancient obelisks of Egypt, now scattered around the world.Conceived soon after the American Revolution ended, the great monument to George Washington was not finally completed until almost a century later; the great obelisk was finished in 1884 and remains the tallest stone structure in the world at 555 feet. The story behind its construction is an intriguing piece of American history, which a...

This collection of essays on cultural astronomy celebrates the life and work of Clive Ruggles, Emeritus Professor of Archaeoastronomy at Leicester University. Taking their lead from Ruggles’ work, the papers present new research focused on three core themes in cultural astronomy: methodology, case studies, and heritage. Through this framework, they show how the study of cultural astronomy has evolved over time and share new ideas to continue advancing the field.Ruggles’ work in the...

MUL.APIN, written sometime before the 8th century BC, was the most widely copied astronomical text in ancient Mesopotamia: a compendium including information such as star lists, descriptions of planetary phases, mathematical schemes for the length of day and night, a discussion of the luni-solar calendar and rules for intercalation, and a short collection of celestial omens. This book contains an introductory essay, followed by a new edition of the text and a facing-page transliteration an...

This volume explores how scholars wrote, preserved, circulated, and read knowledge in ancient Mesopotamia. It offers an exercise in micro-history that provides a case study for attempting to understand the relationship between scholars and scholarship during this time of great innovation.The papers in this collection focus on tablets written in the city of Uruk in southern Babylonia. These archives come from two different scholarly contexts. One is a private residence inhabited dur...

A slender, angry account about a man who takes control, takes vengeance, takes over, and keeps on taking.

John Steele left his family and home at the tender age of 16 to join the Royal Navy. In a select branch of only 200 he subsequently qualified as the youngest Clearance Diver at that time. He then moved on to a life as a commercial oilfield diver and for 22 years worked in the unforgiving depths of the North Sea and Persian Gulf. In 2004 a new industry was opening up. After an intense re-education he secured a job with one of the largest private security companies working with the reconstru...

Throughout time, from ancient Rome to modern Britain, the great empires built and maintained their domination through force of arms and political power. But not the United States. America has dominated the world in a new, peaceful, and pervasive way—through the continued creation of staggering wealth. In this authoritative, engrossing history, John Steele Gordon captures as never before the true source of our nation's global influence: wealth and the capacity to create more of it.

Today, in a world in which news flashes around the globe in an instant, time lags are inconceivable. In the mid-nineteenth century, communication between the United States and Europe -- the center of world affairs -- was only as quick as the fastest ship could cross the Atlantic, making the United States isolated and vulnerable.But in 1866, the Old and New Worlds were united by the successful laying of a cable across the Atlantic. John Steele Gordon's book chronicles this extraordi...

A New York Times Notable BookA deeply textured dual biography and fascinating intellectual history that examines two of the greatest minds of European history—Desiderius Erasmus and Martin Luther—whose heated rivalry gave rise to two enduring, fundamental, and often colliding traditions of philosophical and religious thought.“A masterly work. Massing manages to juggle the complicated biographies and life work of both Erasmu...