Canal Gold

In the gilded decades after the Civil War, the Maxwell family rose from modest roots to the heights of American power. Canal Gold follows J. Rogers Maxwell—entrepreneur, yachtsman, and visionary—as he navigates the treacherous currents of the Gilded Age: the Gold Panic of 1869, the financial devastation of 1873, the ruthless competition of the coal and railroad industries, and the social grandeur of New York Yacht Club racing on Long Island Sound. Based on the true history of the Maxwell family of Glen Cove, Long Island, author David B. Maxwell—J. Rogers’ great-grandson—brings intimate knowledge and meticulous research to this sweeping saga. Part family chronicle, part American epic, Canal Gold reveals how ambition, character, and a touch of fortune built one of the Gilded Age’s most remarkable dynasties.

The author is J. Rogers Maxwell’s great-grandson. Born in Glen Cove, Long Island, New York, he grew up on the North Shore, spending part of his childhood at Maxwelton, the family homestead, and his teenage years at Sand City. Before writing Canal Gold, he built a career as an executive and consultant in banking and publishing. After living for some years in the Netherlands, he now makes his home in the Pocono Mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania. A graduate of the Taft School, Hofstra University, and Columbia University’s School of Business Administration, Maxwell has six children and five grandchildren, and he enjoys golf, skiing, and tennis.