The Secret History of Gold

Gold (noun): A precious, yellow metal, prized for its beauty. Inert, immune to corrosion, highly malleable though with little utility. Seen as pure wealth.

The definitive biography of the metal that has shaped our world – and may yet determine its fate.

The Secret History of Gold tells the epic tale of the world’s oldest, and most treasured, currency. From its origins in the formation of the solar system to its pivotal role in both ancient myth and modern finance, Dominic Frisby explores, with wit and brevity, how gold has defined the entire course of human civilisation.

Gold has inspired men to do the most brilliant – and terrible – things. The most stolen metal in history, it has lured explorers, conquerors and thieves. It has sparked wars, it has built empires, it has empowered leaders – from Alexander the Great to Adolf Hitler – good and bad. As nations today such as China and Russia mine and hoard gold at record rates, Frisby examines its enduring significance in the digital age and its potential to influence global peace and power.

This is the untold story of gold: its past, its present and its future.

Review

For anything and everything to do with gold, my most trusted source of information is Dominic Frisby -- Konstantin Kisin ― Triggernometry

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

About the Author

Dominic Frisby is, unusually, both a financial writer and a comedian. For twenty years, he has a written a weekly blog column for Moneyweek about gold, while his Substack, The Flying Frisby, ranks among the UK’s top financial reads. He’s delivered a slew of ‘lectures with funny bits’ on everything from taxation to mining to weights and measures, as well as hosting two financial comedy shows for BBC Radio 4, More Money than Sense with Andy Zatzman, Shazia Mirza and Paul Sinha and Damned Lies with Sir David Spiegelhalter. His previous books, Life After the State, Bitcoin: The Future of Money? and Daylight Robbery, all tackle big ideas about money with both wit and clarity.