The Secret History of Gold

With both insight and his signature humour, Dominic Frisby tells the story of this extraordinary metal that has shaped empires and sparked madness. Essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the lengths human beings will go to for the promise of riches

Rory Sutherland, author of ALCHEMY and Vice Chairman of Ogilvy

The Secret History of Gold is a fabulous, fascinating, fantastical tale, told with panache by a superb taleteller about humanity's obsession with an eternal, imperishable, glittering metal

Matt Ridley, author of HOW INNOVATION WORKS

Dominic Frisby’s writings about economics and finance are, like his comedy, intelligent, beautifully crafted and always ahead of the curve. The Secret History of Gold is well-informed, utterly coherent and very, VERY timely

Liam Halligan, Telegraph

This book doesn’t just tell you about gold – it makes you feel its weight through history. It’s just so interesting. A must-read for anyone who wants to understand the true currency of civilisation

Toby Young, Spectator

A well-researched and razor-sharp history of the eternal mystery of gold: its value, its cost and its hold over human affairs – written with passion, principle and the occasional punchline

Al Murray, comedian and historian

Possibly the best-timed book ever. As we move into our era of unsustainable debt all the big question about what money is and how it should be governed are coming to the fore again. Frisby’s sharp but straightforward analysis is a must read in a time when trust in everything else is diminishing

Merryn Somerset Webb, Bloomberg

Understand the history of gold, and you start to see what politicians and central banks would rather you didn’t: how easy money enables wars, and how decades of monetary manipulation have quietly chipped away at living standards. Drifting ever further from gold as the anchor of the monetary system has led to many of the economic and political problems we’re living with today – as Dominic reveals with clarity and force

Rob Dix, author of THE PRICE OF MONEY

With impeccable timing, Dominic Frisby has written a brilliant guide to the eternal metal. Given that the price of gold is reaching all-time highs, gold fever is clearly in the air. And as trust in many other forms of wealth declines, now seems an excellent moment to discover the attractions and technicalities of gold. This book is a highly readable introduction to the most alluring material of all

Luke Johnson, investor and entrepreneur

Frisby entertains, impressively and convincingly … As a history, his tales – whether topical, historical or mythological – are well-turned, comprehensive and occasionally surprising ... a colourful and sly adversary to contemporary financial and political pieties

Simon Ings, Telegraph