The Moneychangers. By Upton Sinclair. First Edition, First Printing. B.W. Dodge. New York, 1908.

Upton Sinclair was a prolific American author and the most famous muckraker of the twentieth century. He was also a staunch socialist and political activist whose works reflect his worldviews. The Moneychangers is a quintessential example. It’s a novelization about the Panic of 1907 (sometimes referred to as the Knickerbocker Crisis). The work is deeply critical of the era’s mega-wealthy whose massive business dealings caused the panic. In satirical fashion, Sinclair follows a wealthy banker who simultaneously creates the crisis and solves it by transferring hordes of his own wealth. The character is largely based on J.P. Morgan. The novel represents a highspot among socialist critics of the capitalist system in America from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Dedicated to fellow socialist Jack London, it was a popular work among muckrakers and political activists from the era.

This first edition, first printing is in very good condition. In the original pictorial green cloth, very good with bumping to corners and rubbing to edges. Text block about-fine, only slightly cocked. Lacking the incredibly scarce dust jacket.

A very good first edition of The Moneychangers.