Trading Empires

From the bestselling 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 nineteenth century.

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With the family trade ship Mattin going into the shipyard for an extended overhaul, Jericho Rolland is left without a berth for the first time since he was twelve. Now twenty-one, Jericho is already one of the richest people around. He figures it may be time to start learning not only how to take care and expand his financial empire, but also how to actually live a life beyond being a trader. As he approaches twenty-five, the siren call of space starts to sing in Jericho’s ear with just a whisper that only grows louder with time. A chance meeting with a likeable old codger in a bar leads ...

Jericho Rolland has completed his first interstellar trading voyage on the family trader Mattin with a seemingly impossible level of success. He has also seen to every problem he can think of for the orphanage he was forced to grow up in. Now, feeling much more confidant in the future he can provide for himself, Jericho finally feels he can handle going to see the home he started to grow up in, the one his trust is required to return to his possession when he turns eighteen in a little over five years. The Randle family gives him a ride to his once and future home. Instead of finding the ...

Orphaned at six and sent to an orphanage, Jericho Rolland discovers an interstellar sim when he’s eight. Soon realizing actual trading like this will be the focus of his life. He applies his massive intellect and drive toward preparing himself for that goal. Knowing he can go to space at twelve, Jericho starts setting things up six months before his birthday. The only resistance he runs into is with the interstellar bank. The bank officials really don’t know who they are tangling with, but they find out much to their regret. At Twelve, when many of his almost always brilliant ancestors ...

In the grand scheme of things, very little is known of Mansa Musa’s life. We know that he was one of the greatest emperors of the Mali Empire. And we know that he was actually one of the richest men of all time due to the enormous gold deposits in West Africa that were under his dominion, but large parts of Mansa Musa’s life remain a mystery.

Jericho Rolland has been offered the second mate’s position on the Fancy Days. That berth should be all he needs to meet the first part of the quest to own and operate his own large trader. Jericho should be able to earn his unlimited master’s license. With the Fancy being in the shipyard’s hands for the next several months, he decides to take the Desert Rose out on a salvaging run, with his current girlfriend and the Fancy’s first mate as crew. Little does Jericho realize the two women may be into each other, just as much as his girlfriend is into him. Even the first mate develops ...

What happens when a nomadic tribe rises from the steppes of Asia to rule over three continents for more than six centuries? The Ottoman Empire was more than just a dynasty of sultans and battles—it was a civilization that shaped the course of history. From the fall of Constantinople to the height of Suleiman’s reign, from the might of the Janissaries to the struggles of the 19th century, this empire’s story is one of ambition, triumph, resilience, and eventual decline. The Rise and Fall of the Ottoman Empire: How a Nomadic Tribe Transformed the Middle East, Europe, and Beyond takes ...

After receiving a very tempting offer from the commanding officer of the family trader ship Mattin, one which Jericho Rolland has to defer, he heads off for Union System, the last of the four trading hubs in Agency Space he has yet to visit. There, Jericho is going to make an effort to create his fourth trading hub. One would think the folks there would have heard something about what Jericho has accomplished in the other three hubs, however, that seems to not be true. With having all the family traders and most of the system’s miners in one room, they prove to be a somewhat contentious ...

Step aboard a wind-powered voyage through history—into the heart of one of the most influential, complex, and far-reaching colonial empires ever built. In The History of the Dutch Empire, discover how a small republic forged a global legacy through trade, naval dominance, and strategic colonial control. From the bustling canals of Amsterdam to the shores of Java, the plantations of Suriname, and the brief Dutch foothold in the Americas, this audiobook unpacks the intricate web of commerce, conquest, and governance that defined Dutch expansion.

Jericho continues to work on developing his fleet in preparation for the Norvandans. He isn’t sure when they will come, but hopes it will be after he can properly be ready for them. Before trying to goad the Norvandans into attacking, Jericho has many things to accomplish. Among them is to continue the economic development of the Korson Cluster and initiate the evacuation of the Jamrualians to Arcadia. The evacuation itself starts without a hitch, however, some of the Jamrualian politicians find a way to jump ahead in the line of evacuation. Jericho’s reaction is both rapid and ...

"Step into the dark world of the Sinaloa Cartel—a realm where violence, corruption, and billions of dollars flow unchecked. Will you survive the truth behind the cartel’s empire?" The Sinaloa Cartel, one of the world’s most dangerous and powerful criminal organizations, has cast a shadow over global drug trade and politics. Led by infamous figures like Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, this cartel has terrorized Mexico and reshaped the drug trade across continents. But how did a small syndicate grow into a ruthless empire? What if everything you thought you knew about the Sinaloa Cartel is...

They invented the alphabet you are reading right now. They built the first maritime trading empire, connecting tin mines in Britain to cedar forests in Lebanon to gold markets in West Africa. They manufactured the most expensive luxury good in the ancient world -- Tyrian purple dye, worth more than its weight in gold. They founded Carthage, which would become Rome's most dangerous rival. And almost nobody remembers them. The Purple Merchants is a comprehensive deep dive into the Phoenicians -- history's greatest forgotten civilization. From their Canaanite origins on the narrow Lebanese ...

A deeply researched investigation that reveals how the United States is like a spider at the heart of an international web of surveillance and control, which it weaves in the form of globe-spanning networks such as fiber optic cables and obscure payment systems America’s security state first...

The Roman Empire did not rise on marble, glory, or the genius of a few emperors—it rose on roads, coins, grain, taxes, and the invisible arithmetic of everyday life. Understanding the Economy of the Roman Empire in 10 Days pulls back the curtain on the world’s first large-scale economic engine and shows how a backwater kingdom became the most organized, industrialized, and interconnected civilization of the ancient world. Through immersive 1,000-word historical vignettes and clear, accessible explanations, this book brings you inside the forges of Noricum, the wheat fleets of Alexandria...

Could a single seed build an empire? From the tea fields of China to the sugar plantations of the Caribbean, Seeds of Empire reveals how the plants we cultivate have sown wealth, war, and wonder across the world. Across centuries and continents, humanity’s pursuit of flavor, fiber, and fuel has shaped the rise and fall of civilizations. Sugar fed slavery and rebellion; tea sparked revolution; cotton clothed nations and chained workers; coffee brewed enlightenment and empire. In vivid, cinematic prose, historian Theo Ashbridge traces the tangled roots of power, greed, and discovery through...

The Roman Empire and the Silk Routes investigates the trade routes between Rome and the powerful empires of inner Asia, including the Parthian regime which ruled ancient Persia (Iran). It explores Roman dealings with the Kushan Empire which seized power in Bactria (Afghanistan) and laid claim to the Indus Kingdoms. Further chapters examine the development of Palmyra as a leading caravan city on the edge of Roman Syria and consider trade ventures through the Tarim territories that led Roman merchants to Han China.

This program is read by the author. From the host of NPR’s Planet Money, the deeply-investigated story of how one visionary, ruthless investor changed American finance forever. Before Bill Gross was known among investors as the Bond King, he was a gambler. In 1966, a fresh college grad, he...

Learn Ancient History in Minutes a Day. Build a Year of Knowledge. If you love ancient history but struggle with dense textbooks or dry academic writing, this book was made for you. 365 Days of Ancient Civilizations is a daily microlearning journey through the ancient world. In a few minutes a day, you will explore the civilizations, empires, cities, and ideas that shaped human history and still influence modern life. Each entry is designed to be clear, memorable, and addictive to read. This is not just a list of dates. It is an engaging guide to how civilizations actually worked: power, ...

This enthralling book is the first to uncover the story of New York City merchants who engaged in forbidden trade with the enemy before and during the Seven Years’ War. Ignoring British prohibitions designed to end North America’s wartime trade with the French, New York’s merchant elite conducted a thriving business in the French West Indies, insisting that their behavior was protected by long practice and British commercial law. But the government in London viewed it as treachery, and its subsequent efforts to discipline North American commerce inflamed the colonists.