The Parthenon, the cathedral of Rouen, the Sistine Chapel-without money, these great monuments could never have been built. Only with the circulation of money could the sophisticated division of labor develop that enabled construction of these cultural and economic masterpieces. The story of all that money has enabled, from antiquity through the Middle Ages and especially in the Gothic period, is the subject of this illuminating, richly detailed book. Be prepared for some surprises in this tale of money and culture.