The Currency of Shadows ebook

Beneath the surface of official trade runs another current—one that has sustained empires, financed wars, and fed countless lives in the margins. Shadow Economies: How Black Markets Shape Global History uncovers the invisible systems of smuggling, barter, and illicit exchange that have shaped civilization as profoundly as legal commerce. From wartime contraband to modern cybercrime, it explores how necessity, greed, and ingenuity blur the lines between legitimacy and lawlessness. Drawing on archival research, eyewitness accounts, and economic analysis, this book offers a sweeping view of the underground forces that have continually rewritten the rules of global power and prosperity.