Little Napoleons and Dummy Directors: Being the Narrative of the Bank of United States tells the spectacular story of a major New York bank and its dramatic crash in 1931. Based on the revelations of the ensuing investigation
and trial, the author explains the bank’s origin in 1913 as a modest, safe institution with a reputation for integrity whose character changed rapidly after the death of the bank’s founder in 1928 and takeover by his son. The
story of the bank then careens into a frenzy of expansion and reckless speculation ending with the bank’s shocking decision to close its doors.