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Rafael Sabatini Dustjacket Gallery |
| The Gamester |
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Illustrator: John Alan Maxwell (1904-1984)
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The Gamester |
| In this latest work, Rafael Sabatini turns to a momentous episode in French history -- the inflation and financial panic that followed the death of Louis XIV -- and a fabulous character, John Law. A financial wizard and exiled Scot, John Law had all the instincts of a gambler and the gall of an upstart. In a series of daring moves, he won control of the finances of France when the country was virtually bankrupt. With the founding of the famous "Banque Generale," Law's radical banking theories brought riches to the French people. He was worshipped as a saviour. His belief that wealth may be found outside of gold itself -- in the hearts of productive and inventive people, in paper currency and credit -- was successful for the time, and the fortunes of the gambler soared. Law played for high stakes when the venomous Count of Horn, the overbearing and ascetic de Noailles, President of the Council, sought to block Law's march to power. In a sinister plot joined by members of Parliament, they aimed to destroy the man who had such a hold on France. Mr. Sabatini brings into sharp focus all the rivalry and jealousy of the French Court, besides its scandals, infidelities, murders and intrigues. This is the setting and the real meaning behind John Law's greatest gambles. |
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The Gamester - Editions & Formats |
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