Full name: Hamilton's Blessing: The Extraordinary Life and Times of Our National Debt

Author: John Steele Gordon Year: 1996 Rank: Rating: Original Rating: Pop Rating: Genres/categories: History, Economics, Non Fiction Purchase/reserch links: LibraryThing Goodreads Amazon ISBNs: 9780140270150 9780802713230 0140270159 0802713238

Measured at the staggering amount of $5.1 trillion (and growing every day) the national debt is unfathomable to most Americans. What we may not realize is that the United States was born out of debt. After the Revolution, the brilliant Alexander Hamilton was less interested in paying down the Revolutionary war debt than in using it to create a vibrant national economy. If it is not excessive, he declared, a national debt will be to us a national blessing.In a fascinating narrative brimming with colorful characters, historical accidents, and American ingenuity, business historian John Steele Gordon leads us on a tour of an American institution whose largely unknown story has been integrally entwined with our country's destiny. At key points in U.S. history, Gordon shows how the national debt has been a potent instrument of fiscal policy in keeping the world safe for democracy.But how much debt is too much? At a time when we despair of balancing even a single year's budget, Hamilton's Blessing provides much needed perspective -- and hope. Similar books: The Birth of Plenty by William J. Bernstein The Great Crash 1929 by John Kenneth Galbraith Empire of Wealth by John Steele Gordon The Rise and Fall of American Growth by Robert J. Gordon False Economy by Alan Beattie A History of the United States in Five Crashes by Scott Nations Crashed by Adam Tooze The Wealth and Poverty of Nations by David S. Landes Goliath by Matt Stoller The Cash Nexus by Niall Ferguson The Lever of Riches by Joel Mokyr The Alchemists by Neil Irwin The Transformation of the World by Jurgen Osterhammel The Elusive Quest for Growth by William Easterly A Thread Across the Ocean by John Steele Gordon The Noblest Triumph by Tom Bethell Triumph of the City by Edward Glaeser Wedding of the Waters by Peter L. Bernstein Medieval Cities by Henri Pirenne