- rate ▁fr ig ates ▁of ▁the ▁Royal ▁Navy ▁Category : Sh ip ▁classes ▁of ▁the ▁Royal ▁Navy ▁Category : 1 8 1 0 s ▁ships <0x0A> </s> ▁The ▁Driver ▁is ▁a ▁novel ▁by ▁American ▁journalist ▁G aret ▁Gar rett , ▁published ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 2 ▁by ▁E . P . ▁D utton . ▁ ▁Sum mary ▁It ▁tells ▁the ▁story ▁of ▁brilliant ▁financial ▁spec ulator ▁Henry ▁M . ▁G alt . ▁Through ▁his ▁own ▁vision ▁and ▁work ▁eth ic , ▁G alt ▁takes ▁over ▁the ▁failing ▁Great ▁Mid western ▁Rail road ▁during ▁an ▁economic ▁crisis , ▁turning ▁it ▁into ▁a ▁h ug ely ▁product ive ▁and ▁prof itable ▁asset ▁for ▁the ▁benefit ▁of ▁himself ▁and ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁nation . ▁The ▁novel ▁begins ▁against ▁the ▁back drop ▁of ▁the ▁pan ic ▁of ▁ 1 8 9 3 ▁and ▁the ▁free ▁silver ▁movement ▁when ▁many ▁real - life ▁rail ro ads ▁went ▁bank rupt . ▁In ▁large ▁part ▁due ▁to ▁G alt ' s ▁efforts , ▁the ▁country ' s ▁economy ▁is ▁restored . ▁G alt ' s ▁ac quis itions ▁and ▁fortune ▁continue ▁to ▁grow ▁and ▁he ▁becomes ▁the ▁wealth iest ▁person ▁in ▁America . ▁Instead ▁of ▁celebr ation , ▁there ▁is ▁env y ▁and ▁dist rust ▁among ▁those ▁who ▁mar vel ▁at ▁but ▁fail ▁to ▁understand ▁G alt ' s ▁genius . ▁His ▁enemies , ▁along ▁with ▁the ▁federal ▁government , ▁set ▁out ▁to ▁destroy ▁G alt ▁and ▁to pp le ▁the ▁emp ire ▁he ▁has ▁built .