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Fur, Fortune, and Empire: The Epic History of the Fur Trade in America Audiobook
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(3.16) - 132 listener ratings
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Fur, Fortune, and Empireis the most comprehensive and compelling history of the American fur trade ever written.
As Henry Hudson sailed up the broad river that would one day bear his name, he grew concerned that his Dutch patrons would be disappointed in his failure to find the fabled route to the Orient. What became immediately apparent, however, from the Indians clad in deer skins and "good furs" was that Hudson had discovered something just as tantalizing.
The news of Hudson's 1609 voyage to America ignited a fierce competition to lay claim to this uncharted continent, teeming with untapped natural resources. The result was the creation of an American fur trade, which fostered economic rivalries and fueled wars among the European powers and later between the United States and Great Britain, as North America became a battleground for colonization and imperial aspirations.
In Fur, Fortune, and Empire, bestselling author Eric Jay Dolin chronicles the rise and fall of the fur trade of old, when the rallying cry was "get the furs while they last." Beavers, sea otters, and buffalos were slaughtered, used for their precious pelts that were tailored into extravagant hats, coats, and sleigh blankets. To read Fur, Fortune, and Empire then is to understand how North America was explored, exploited, and settled, while its native Indians were alternately enriched and exploited by the trade.As Dolin demonstrates, fur, both an economic elixir and an agent of destruction, became inextricably linked to many key events in American history, including the French and Indian War, the American Revolution, and the War of 1812, as well as to the relentless pull of Manifest Destiny and the opening of the West.
This work provides an international cast beyond the scope of any Hollywood epic, including Thomas Morton, the rabble-rouser who infuriated the Pilgrims by trading guns with the Indians; British explorer Captain James Cook, whose discovery in the Pacific Northwest helped launch America's China trade; Thomas Jefferson who dreamed of expanding the fur trade beyond the Mississippi; America's first multimillionaire John Jacob Astor, who built a fortune on a foundation of fur; and intrepid mountain men such as Kit Carson and Jedediah Smith, who sliced their way through an awe inspiring and unforgiving landscape, leaving behind a mythic legacy still resonates today.
Concluding with the virtual extinction of the buffalo in the late 1800s, Fur, Fortune, and Empire is an epic history that brings to vivid life three hundred years of the American experience, conclusively demonstrating that the fur trade played a seminal role in creating the nation we are today.
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"Fur Fortune and Empire is above all else, educational and a fascinating look into history of the fur trade. However, it does not fall short when it comes to entertaining the reader. There were many times where I couldn't put the book down, which can be rare in many history books."
— Jeff (5 out of 5 stars)
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“Nobody writes about the link between American history and natural history with the scholarly grace of Eric Jay Dolin. Fur, Fortune, and Empire is a landmark study filled with a cast of eccentric Western-type characters. Dolin’s research is prodigious. Not since the days of Francis Parkman has a historian analyzed the fur trade industry with such brilliance. Highly recommended!”
— Douglas Brinkley, bestselling author of The Wilderness Warrior: Theodore Roosevelt and the Crusade for America -
“[An] absorbing story…Dolin, author of the acclaimed Leviathan: The History of Whaling in America, offers another good history well told.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review) -
“Dolin’s book tells the story of America from Pilgrim times to the end of the nineteenth century by means of the fur trade, a driving economic force in discovery, exploration, and settlement. Tom Weiner’s narration is crisp and professional, his voice strong.”
— AudioFile -
“Eric Jay Dolin…brings together all the exhilarating and tragic aspects of that trade through the nineteenth century…an absorbing and comprehensive ride through the trade’s history.”
— BookPage -
“A delightful history, reminding readers that while noble ideals led to the settling of the United States, the fur trade paid the bills.”
— Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Fur, Fortune, and Empire Listener Reviews
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" Great big read, especially for someone who wants to learn more about the American fur trade -- quite different from the Canadian indeed! Adventure, danger, and sometimes but not always "a golden round of profits." "
— Nancy, 12/23/2013 -
" Another suprising look about our past. "
— Dot, 11/22/2013 -
" There's a lot to know about fur. Without it, America might have never got off the East Coast. This story goes in a lot of directions and all over the country, but Mr. Dolin does a nice job of making it move along. "
— Don, 8/2/2013 -
" So many amazing facts, persons who showed up unexpectedly, impact of fur trade on Indian land loss and culture. I'm going to have my AP US students do this as a summer reading requirement and compare it with Facing East from Indian Country. "
— Linda, 4/8/2013 -
" Very good. Interesting to look at the early history of the US from a more economic mercantile standpoint. "
— Nancy, 3/22/2013 -
" Very interesting, and more than a little sad. Important read for Americans or anyone who is a consumer or has an impact on their environment. "
— Sydney, 1/31/2013 -
" Surprisingly interesting! "
— Brandi, 1/27/2013 -
" Really interesting history of the US told through the development and history of the fur trade. "
— Karla, 10/21/2012 -
" Very interesting! I really liked it, of course I love history and this is a part of history that has been put under a microscope. Eric Dolan did a fabulous job! "
— Chris, 10/17/2012 -
" WOW!!!! Who'd of believed that fur was such a major force in the settling of this great Country? Sure was new and enlightening to me. "
— Amber, 9/19/2012 -
" The book is rich in historical detail, and worth it for that alone. But what should have been fascinating stories about the beaver, otter, and bison -- stories unique in time and place -- were told with very repetitive language. "
— michaelben, 10/24/2011 -
" Interesting study of the geo-political impact of the fur trade during the 18th and 19th century. I found the first half of the book a bit dry but enjoyed the reading about the western fur trade during the post colonial period. "
— Bill, 7/29/2011 -
" Informative and shocking. A true tale of human greed and wanton waste. "
— Lee, 5/12/2011 -
" Very interesting, and more than a little sad. Important read for Americans or anyone who is a consumer or has an impact on their environment. "
— Sydney, 4/8/2011 -
" Another suprising look about our past. "
— Dot, 3/8/2011 -
" Informative and shocking. A true tale of human greed and wanton waste. "
— Lee, 12/3/2010 -
" Interesting study of the geo-political impact of the fur trade during the 18th and 19th century. I found the first half of the book a bit dry but enjoyed the reading about the western fur trade during the post colonial period. "
— Bill, 11/15/2010 -
" Very good. Interesting to look at the early history of the US from a more economic mercantile standpoint. "
— Nancy, 8/8/2010 -
" Very interesting! I really liked it, of course I love history and this is a part of history that has been put under a microscope. Eric Dolan did a fabulous job! "
— Chris, 7/15/2010
About Eric Jay Dolin
Eric Jay Dolin is the author of numerous works in maritime history, including Leviathan: The History of Whaling in America, which was chosen as one of the best nonfiction books of 2007 by the Los Angeles Times and the Boston Globe. It also won the 2007 John Lyman Award for US Maritime History. He is a graduate of Brown, Yale, and MIT, where he received his PhD in environmental policy.
About Tom Weiner
Tom Weiner, a dialogue director and voice artist best known for his roles in video games and television shows such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Transformers, is the winner of eight Earphones Awards and is an Audie Award finalist. He is a former member of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.