First published 2020
In colonial New Jersey, a Prussian-born trader nurtures an ambitious vision of building a vertically-integrated metals empire. His story becomes one thread in a sweeping narrative that spans centuries, following the dreamers and entrepreneurs who constructed the world's first global supply chains. From eighteenth-century trading posts to modern megaships too massive for most ports, these characters navigate the constant tension between private innovation and government barriers. Their pursuits reshape commerce across continents, though the consequences often exceed their wildest expectations. As one era of global trade gives way to another around 2006, the protagonists discover they are not witnessing globalization's end but its transformation into something entirely new.
Genres: history, historical-fiction, business, economics, 21st-century
Vibes: epic, sweeping, thought-provoking
Tropes: dreamers-and-entrepreneurs, epic-scope
Setting: New Jersey, Prussian, Africa, Asia, Europe
Period: 18th-Century, 19th-Century, 20th-Century, 21st-Century
271 pages · Kindle Edition · Princeton University Press