Gold (Book 10 of 12)

Gold uncovers the astonishing true story of how a narrow ridge of rock beneath the South African veld transformed the global economy. From the discovery of the Witwatersrand in 1886 to the rise of Johannesburg, the creation of the world's deepest mines, and the fortunes that financed empires, this is the story of the system that supplied nearly forty percent of all the gold ever mined. But beneath the wealth lay a brutal world of migrant labor, dangerous working conditions, political power, and human sacrifice. Sweeping across more than a century of history, Gold reveals how South African gold shaped international finance, fueled wars, sustained governments, and continues to influence the modern world today. A powerful account of ambition, exploitation, innovation, and resilience, this is the hidden history behind the metal that built the global economy.