The Monopolists: Obsession, Fury, and the Scandal Behind the World's Favorite Board GameThe Monopolists reveals the unknown story of how Monopoly came into existence, the reinvention of its history by Parker Brothers and multiple media outlets, the lost female originator of the game, and one man's lifelong obsession to tell the true story about the game's questionable origins. Most think it was invented by an unemployed Pennsylvanian who sold his game to Parker Brothers during the Great Depression in 1935 and lived happily--and richly--ever after. That story, however, is not exactly true. Ralph Anspach, a professor fighting to sell his Anti-Monopoly board game decades later, unearthed the real story, which traces back to Abraham Lincoln, the Quakers, and a forgotten feminist named Lizzie Magie who invented her nearly identical Landlord's Game more than thirty years before Parker Brothers sold their version of Monopoly. Her game--underpinned by morals that were the exact opposite of what Monopoly represents today--was embraced by a constellation of left-wingers from the Progressive Era through the Great Depression, including members of Franklin Roosevelt's famed Brain Trust. A gripping social history of corporate greed that illuminates the cutthroat nature of American business over the last century, The Monopolists reads like the best detective fiction, told through Monopoly's real-life winners and losers. |
Contents
Anspach Connects the Dots | |
CHAPTER 12 | |
A Matter of Principle | |
CHAPTER 14 | |
APPENDIX | |
NOTES | |
CHAPTER 10 | |
Other editions - View all
The Monopolists: Obsession, Fury, and the Scandal Behind the World's ... Mary Pilon Limited preview - 2015 |
The Monopolists: Obsession, Fury, and the Scandal Behind the World's ... Mary Pilon No preview available - 2016 |
The Monopolists: Obsession, Fury, and the Scandal Behind the World's ... Mary Pilon No preview available - 2015 |
Common terms and phrases
advertising American Anspach Anti-Monopoly Arden asked Association Atlantic City Avenue Barton became become began board game called cards Charles claim continued copies court created Darrow decades deposition dollars Droeger earlier early felt Finance friends game’s George Group hand Harvey houses idea industry interest interview invented knew land Landlord’s Game later lawyers Layman letter living Lizzie Lizzie Magie Lizzie’s meet Mills monopoly game needed never offered Office original Parker Brothers patent Person played players political popular properties published Quakers question Raiford Ralph received reporter rules Ruth sell single tax sold sometimes space story Street thought thousand Todd told took trademark trying United University wanted Washington women written wrote York