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Yeah definitely read The Robber Barons. It covers all the major tycoons of the 19th century and their financial shenanigans. A surprisingly exciting read, full of wicked deeds. To tell one story from the book, there was a battle over a railroad where thugs hired by opposing companies got on trains at different stains and advanced towards each other. The trains collided and the soldiers jumped off and fought with clubs.

The only other book I've read about the era is The House of Morgan, which covers the history of JP Morgan bank. It's highly recommended as well. It tells a convincing tale as bankers as the good guys (gentlemen bankers), who funded Thomas Edison, the transatlantic cable, Charles Lindbergh's transatlantic flight, and who raised the funds and managed the purchases necessary to win WWI.

If anyone else has finance books to recommend I'd love to hear them.




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