Here’s an audio summary of the book by the author:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8484911570371055528

Here’s a free PDF the Murray Rothbard book that you mentioned:
http://mises.org/books/historyofmoney.pdf

Here’s a link to the Panama article that you mentioned. I am in the process of reading it and will try to comment later:
http://mises.org/story/2533

I didn’t expect an overwhelming response to this thread, but I am surprised that only one person on this website has responded to it in the 4 days it has been online.

“It is well enough that people of the nation do not understand our banking and monetary system, for if they did, I believe there would be a revolution before tomorrow morning.” – Henry Ford