Anyone interested in the changing sources and functions of gold and money in Westernsociety will be enlightened and at times diverted by Vilar&rsquo;s pioneering history. Beginningwith a survey of the role of gold and the various currencies used in ancient and medievalsocieties, Vilar goes on to analyze the drive for gold and silver behind European voyages ofdiscovery and conquest, and the subsequent impact on Western European economies ofthe influx of looted treasure. He concludes his comprehensive account with a fascinatingdiscussion of the crisis of the 1920s.<br /><br /><strong>The Verso World History Series</strong>: This series provides attractive new editions of classic works of history, making landmark texts available to a new generation of readers. Covering a timespan stretching from Ancient Greece and Rome to the twentieth century, and with a global geographical range, the series will also include thematic volumes providing insights into such topics as the spread of print cultures and the history of money.