How the worldwide currency war, already under way, will soon affect us all. The debasement of the dollar, bailouts in Greece and Ireland, and Chinese currency manipulation are unmistakable signs that we are experiencing the start of a new currency war. Fought as a series of competitive devaluations of one country's currency against others, currency wars are one of the most destructive and feared outcomes in international economics. Left unchecked, the new currency wars could lead to a crisis worse than the panic of 2008. Drawing on a mix of economic history, network science, and sociology, Currency Wars provides a rich understanding of the increasing threats to U.S. national security, from dollar devaluation to collapse in the European periphery, failed states in Africa, Chinese neomercantilism, Russian adventurism, and the current scramble for gold. James Rickards, an expert who has worked at the highest levels of both finance and national security, explains everything we need to know about this growing global standoff. He takes readers around the world and behind closed doors to explain complex financial and political currents with absorbing firsthand anecdotes.