Hubert Howe Bancroft's 10-volume BOOK OF WEALTH explores the origins and influence of wealth, from the earliest civilizations to the dawn of the Twentieth Century.The books offer an in-depth look at the history of economics and finance relative to the history of the human race, and include Bancroft's extraordinary insights into the psychology of economic exchange as he examines the individuals, organizations and nations that have attained great wealth.In BOOK FOUR, Bancroft reveals the tribal origins of France, the rise, and fall, of the various Kings Louis, and Napoleon's ill-fated conquests. We learn about Switzerland, its dramatic scenery and historic locales; Holland's ongoing battles against invading armies and the unending onslaught of the sea; the rich history of tiny Belgium; and finally, the many wars, and cultural wealth of Austria and Hungary.