Economic history Books

Book SynopsisThe fifth volume on the history of the Reserve Bank of India covers the years from 199798 to 200708. During this period, it introduced key institutional and financial market reforms in a rapidly changing economic environment and facilitated faster integration of the Indian economy. The Bank rationalised and introduced innovative instruments of monetary control; strengthened regulatory and supervisory processes for both banking and non-banking sectors; adjusted its approach to achieve and sustain financial stability; focussed on building financial market institutions and infrastructure; and spurred legal and other amendments in the larger public interest as also for achieving flexibility with stability in the economy. It also worked to improve the rural credit system, financial inclusion and customer protection. This volume is a narrative history of the Bank and also a rich resource for understanding how an emerging market central bank manages change and shapes the economy to face futurTable of ContentsForeword; Preface; Acknowledgements; List of Abbreviations; 1. Introduction: Managing Liberalisation; 2. The Macroeconomic Context; 3. Monetary Management; 4. Foreign Exchange Market and Management of the Capital Account; 5. Foreign Exchange Reserves Management; 6. Financial Markets; 7. Public Debt Management; 8. The Payment and Settlement Systems; 9. Currency Management; 10. Regulation of the Financial System – Part I: Commercial Banks; 10. Regulation of the Financial System – Part II: Other Financial Institutions; 11. Supervision of the Financial System; 12. Rural Credit; 13. Financial Inclusion; 14. Communication Policy; 15. Organisational Change; Appendices; Photographs; Select Bibliography; Index.

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Book SynopsisAt the turn of the second millennium, Koreans face multiple challenges at home and abroad. South Korea is still in the throes of democratisation and economic reforms, while North Korea faces food shortages and other economic difficulties. The two Koreas need to manage the unification process so as to bring about national harmony and promote economic prosperity. The Korean people need to devise a new security strategy for a unified Korea to ensure its survival and independence in the early 21st century. This collection is divided into three parts, and each addresses an important issue area confronting the Korean people in the 21st century. Part I examines South Korea''s democratisation and economic reforms against the backdrop of the East Asian financial crisis. Part II discusses the problems and prospects for inter-Korean relations and the characteristics of North Korea''s foreign policy behaviour. Part III analyses South Korea''s security relations with the four major powers at the turn of the new millennium. All chapters are written by renowned experts in their fields and offer valuable insights into the dynamics of the two Korean''s domestic politics and foreign policy.

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Book Synopsis Over the last few years, there has been a noticeable increase in studies on the postwar period of Germany, reflecting the crucial importance of these years for an understanding of the developments in the two Germanys. With her study of U.S. occupation policy and its effects on German social and political developments in Frankfurt, Munich, and Stuttgart, Rebecca Boehling offers a most valuable contribution to this debate. She examines the decisions made by the U.S. Military Government regarding German municipal personnel from the first year of the occupation, when all city officials were appointed directly by Military Government of with its explicit approval, through the first postwar municipal elections in 1946 and 1948, when democratic self-government was gradually restored. Boehling explores the far-reaching effects of personnel decisions on German political life within the framework of U.S. policies intended to denazify and democratize Germany. The conclusion she draws is that the early local-level German developments under U.S. occupation facilitated economic recovery in a manner that restricted the implementation of political and social goals of democratization.Trade Review "A well-written and informative source ... a useful contrast to much of the existing literature." · H-Net Reviews (H-German) "... a much appreciated contribution to the current discussions about the reunification of Germany and what it can mean for its economy and relationships to the other European powers." · Wisconsin Bookwatch "... most welcome as the first detailed analysis of political reconstruction in major postwar German cities available in English." · Choice ... unique quality. There is really nothing in English - and relatively little in German - that explores the early days of the occupation of Germany with this degree of detail or with such an extensive knowledge of the interaction between Germans and Americans at the local level." · Thomas Schwartz, Vanderbilt UniversityTable of Contents List of Abbreviations Preface Introduction Chapter 1. American Preparations for Postwar German Self-Government Chapter 2. Structure, Jurisdiction, and Policies of the Office of Military Government – U.S. Zone (OMGUS) Chapter 3. From Resistance and Liberation to Conquest and Occupation Chapter 4. The Stunde Null: American Occupiers, German Appointees, and Pre-democratic Municipal Administration Chapter 5. German Grassroots Democracy and U.S. Military Government: Early Manifestations of Local Self-Government Chapter 6. U.S. Military Government in Retreat: The Return of German Self-Government and the Results of Democratization Initiatives Chapter 7. Conclusion: The Legacy of the U.S. Occupation Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisCapitalism has lifted millions out of poverty. Under its guiding hand, living standards throughout the Western world have been transformed. Further afield, the trail blazed by Japan is being followed by other emerging market countries across the globe, creating prosperity on a breathtaking scale.And yet, capitalism is unloved. From its discontents to its outright enemies, voices compete to point out the flaws in the system that allow increasingly powerful elites to grab an ever larger share of our collective wealth.In this incisive, clear-sighted guide, award winning Financial Times journalist John Plender explores the paradoxes and pitfalls inherent in this extraordinarily dynamic mechanism - and in our attitudes to it. Taking us on a journey from the Venetian merchants of the Rennaissance to the gleaming temples of commerce in 21st-century Canary Wharf via the South Sea Bubble, Dutch tulip mania and manic-depressive gambling addicts, Plender shows us our economic creation through the eyes of philosophers, novelists, poets, artists and the divines.Along the way, he delves into the ethics of debt; reveals the truth about the unashamedly materialistic artistic giants who pioneered copyrighting; and traces the path of our instinctive conviction that entrepreneurs are greedy, unethical opportunists, hell-bent on capital accumulation, while manufacturing is innately virtuous. Thoughtful, eloquent and above all compelling, Capitalism is a remarkable contribution to the enduring debate.Trade Review'A superbly erudite excursion through the theory and practice of market economies down the ages.' - Dominic Lawson, The Sunday Times; 'In this thoughtful and stimulating intervention, John Plender [...] offers a tour d'horizon of the debate, enlivened by a deep knowledge of the global economy and an interest in history, together with an open-minded willingness to place capitalism on the scales of justice and see which way they tip.' - David Priestland, Financial Times; 'John Plender is one of capitalism's more thoughtful observers. His erudition and lifelong curiosity come together beautifully in this wise and wide-ranging book.' - Stephanie Flanders; 'Plender is neither dogmatic nor prescriptive; if you like to read something that furnishes ideas for debate, then this book is for you.' - Richard Walker, CapX; '[John Plender] approaches the quandaries of capitalism with a shrewd eye for detail.' - The Economist; 'It [Capitalism] does a better job of bringing together all the key issues facing today's global economy than any other book I've read... a delight to read.' - Tim Montgomerie, The Times

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Book SynopsisThrough economics, our politicians have the power to transform people's lives for better or worse. Think Deng Xiaoping who lifted millions out of poverty by opening up China; Franklin D Roosevelt whose 'New Deal' helped the USA break free of the Great Depression. Or Peron and his successors in Argentina who brought the country to the brink of ruin.In this magisterial history, economist and politician Vince Cable examines the legacy of 16 world leaders who transformed their countries' economic fortunes and who also challenged economic convention. From Thatcher to Trump, from Lenin to Bismarck, Money and Power provides a whole new perspective on the science of government. Examining the fascinating interplay of economics and politics, this is a compelling journey through some of the most significant people and events of the last 300 years.Trade ReviewVince Cable brings economics to life in this thrilling history, revealing how 16 leading politicians over the last 250 years have used it in their own totally different ways to make the world anew. * Sir Anthony Seldon, author of May at 10 *A wonderful journey through the economic ideas that have shaped leading politicians throughout history. * Dame Minouche Shafik, Director of LSE *Impressive... The essay on Robert Peel lucidly explains his pioneering influence on the politics of trade. Similarly, thechapter on Juan Peron is an excellent summary of his political career as prime minister and the Peronist model of government and economics. * Irish Times *From Hamilton and Lenin to Abe and Trump, these brilliant essays are true to the dictum that 'people don't believe in ideas, they believe in people who believe in ideas'. This is a book which will change the way you think about politics and the leaders and ideas which have driven it forward in the last three centuries. * Lord Andrew Adonis *Vince Cable brings out with spectacular clarity how important and radical leaders end up combining economic theory, political ideology and practical administration. This book needs to be read by anyone who is interested in how the world's economies are really run. * Sir Oliver Letwin *Money and Power provides a masterly analysis of how economic policy has determined the success and failure of political leaders through the ages. * Vicky Pryce, former Joint Head of the UK Government Economic Service *As a former policymaker, Cable has an eye for the sort of political detail that brings a historical episode to life. It's an accessible read that helps us see the long-standing links between money and power all over the world. * Linda Yueh, author of The Great Economists: How Their Ideas Can Help Us Today *Cable shows the influence of leaders in the course of history and the influence of economic ideas on their thoughts and actions. A brilliant project and splendidly delivered. * Professor Lord Nicholas Stern, LSE *A fast-paced, highly readable account of political leaders who transformed their countries - for better or worse - through the economic ideologies of their time. As an economist turned politician, Vince Cable is uniquely placed to provide a critical, but fair judgment of those who have shaped today's major economies. * Dame DeAnne Julius, senior adviser, Chatham House *A lucid, erudite analysis of the global economy, and Britain's place in it. * Observer on After the Storm *A remarkably rounded work... Cable has produced a book that makes a serious and relevant contribution to the continuing debate about banking, infrastructure, housing, China, executive pay, short-termism and many of the other topics which continue to top the business and political agenda. * Evening Standard on After the Storm *The undisputed heavyweight champion of the credit crunch in parliament'. * Robert Peston *Table of Contents0: Introduction: Politicians and the Politics of Economics 1: Hamilton: The Economic Founding Father 2: Peel: Free Trade 3: Bismarck: The Economics of 'Iron and Blood' 4: Lenin: From War Communism to State Capitalism 5: Roosevelt: The Keynesian Revolution Without Keynes 6: Erhard: The Social Market and Ordoliberalism 7: Erlander: The Social Democratic Model Made Real 8: Perón: Peronism and Economic Populism 9: Park: The Development State and Hypergrowth 10: Lee: The Eclectic Economics of Lee Kuan Yew 11: Thatcher: Thatcherism and Its Cousin, Reaganomics 12: Deng: China's Economic Architect 13: Manmohan Singh: The Quiet Reformer 14: Balcerowicz: Big Bang Theory and Practice 15: Abe: Japan Pioneers Abenomics 16: Trump: Trumponomics, Economic Nationalism and Pluto-populism 17: Conclusion: Sixteen Politicians: Sixteen Varieties of Economics

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Book SynopsisThe interdisciplinary chapters in this volume explore and engage the work of Vincent and Elinor Ostrom, along with the Bloomington School of political economy more generally.The book emphasizes the continuing relevance of the Ostroms’ work for our understanding of collective action, self-governance, and institutional diversity for interdisciplinary research in the social sciences and humanities. The wide array of topics and approaches will make the volume of interest to readers in a variety of fields, including: political science, economics, philosophy, sociology, public administration, environmental studies, and political economy.Table of Contents Introduction – Peter Boettke, Bobbi Herzberg, Brian Kogelmann Two Faces of Culture in the Ostroms, Mili Kalia Payoffs that Pay Off: Methodological Pluralism in the Work of Elinor Ostrom, Alexander Schaefer Network of Cantinas from Terra do Meio, Miranda Chase Under Emergency Management: Community Responses to the Flint Water Crisis, Sarah Phinney Unbundling Post-Disaster Aid Package, Veeshan Rayamajhee Governing the (Banking) Commons: Polycentric Solutions to Bank Runs, Pablo Paniagua Prieto An Institutional Analysis of Wage Setting in the Prison Labor Industry, Joanna Carroll The Enemy of My Enemy is My Friend: Multilevel Governance and Migration Policy, Emily VanMeter Ostromian Lessons for the Welfare State, Roland Fritz Community among State and Market: Rethinking Social Capital in Authoritarian Regimes,Wanlin Lin Party Organizations and Polycentric Governance: Political Party Reform, Administrative Consolidation, and Geographic Polarization in the Ostroms’ Political Science, Nicholas Jacobs The Political Economy of the European Union: An Exploration of EU Institutions and Governance from the Perspective of Polycentrism, Jan Vogler

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Book SynopsisThings Still Fall Apart shows that Africa is a neglected and exploited continent. Since it was invaded c.1500 by Europeans, it has accumulated only 1 per cent of the world’s wealth, despite containing 16 per cent of the world’s population and immense natural and human resources. This collection of memories by a Brazilian economist, from his 20 years working on the continent, explains that this relative stationary situation is caused mostly by political decisions. Political decisions made on behalf of domestic rulers and rich countries; meanwhile, the poor have no voice or power. The book challenges many historical narratives of the continent and unveils issues such as negative primitive accumulation and the politics of sexuality. The findings of this book reflect the reality of the poor and may be considered alarming and challenging – they need special attention and funding. If not, further stagnation, civil conflicts and migratory waves will persist. As a result, suffering for poor and future costs for rich countries will increase.

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Book SynopsisA comprehensive guide to the evolution of the medieval English customs system

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Book SynopsisThis volume studies the links between politics and science during the 20th century, based on the example of the large US foundations. If the 20th century can be regarded in many ways as the "American Century", then the large US foundations such as Carnegie, Rockefeller and Ford played a major role in this development. And yet they weren't simply stooges for official US power politics. The circumstances surrounding their actions were much more complicated and made great demands of the philanthropy of the day. This volume with articles in English and German shows the course of US philanthropy in Europe in the time between the world wars and following World War II; it demonstrates how Europe became the setting for continually new versions of the postwar political and scientific landscape.

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Book SynopsisWhat does "creativity" mean in the context of IT and what happens when IT acts in its name? Jan Sebastian Zipp examines the concept of creativity in large IT companies in times of digital change, including new ways of working or potential artificial creativity with no human interaction. Drawing on constitutive elements like Silicon Valley or its connection to counterculture, his analysis of the representation and organisation of creativity as a social practice provides insights into the inherent logic of the creativity narrative of IT. This study contributes vital foundations for a critical engagement with today's prevailing understanding of the concept of creativity.

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Book SynopsisThis open access book considers a pivotal era in Chinese history from a global perspective. This book’s insight into Chinese and international history offers timely and challenging perspectives on initiatives like “Chinese characteristics”, “The New Silk Road” and “One Belt, One Road” in broad historical context. Global History with Chinese Characteristics analyses the feeble state capacity of Qing China questioning the so-called “High Qing” (shèng qīng 盛清) era’s economic prosperity as the political system was set into a “power paradox” or “supremacy dilemma”. This is a new thesis introduced by the author demonstrating that interventionist states entail weak governance. Macao and Marseille as a new case study aims to compare Mediterranean and South China markets to provide new insights into both modern eras’ rising trade networks, non-official institutions and interventionist impulses of autocratic states such as China’s Qing and Spain’s Bourbon empires.Table of ContentsIntroduction: The Implementation of the New Global History in China.- The “Global History Paradox” in China: Sinocentred Approaches along the Silk Road.- The Mandate of Heaven, the Rule of the Emperor: Self-sufficiency of the Middle-Kingdom.- Silver, Rogues, and Trade Networks: Sangleyes and Manila Galleons connecting the Spanish Empire and Qing China.- Conclusions.

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Book SynopsisA beautiful new cover for one of Fontana Press’s hardiest perennials.

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Book SynopsisThe Industrial Revolution has sometimes been regarded as a catastrophe which desecrated the English landscape and brought social opporession and appalling physical hardship to the workers. In this book, however, it is presented as an important and beneficial mark of progress. In spite of destructive wars and a rapid growth of population, the material living standards of most of the British people improved, and the technical innovations not only brought economic rewards but also provoked greater intellectual ingenuity. Innovation is therefore seen by Ashton not just as an economic course but as a social and cultural process influenced by factors such as war and peace and the framework of law and institutions. Lucidly argued and authoritative, this bookplaces the phenomenon of the Industrial Revolution in a stimulating perpsective. A new Preface by Professor Pat Hudson outlines the results of recent research precipitated by Ashton''s themes: the true causes of population growth in the eiTable of ContentsPreface ; Introduction ; 1. The Earlier Forms of Industry ; 2. The Technical Innovations ; 3. Capital and Labour ; 4. 'Individualism' and 'Laisser-faire' ; 5. The Course of Economic Change ; Bibliography; Index; Map

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Book SynopsisIn this important study, Janet Abu-Lughod presents a groundbreaking reinterpretation of global economic evolution and provides a new paradigm for understanding the evolution of world systems by tracing the rise of a system that, at its peak in the opening decades of the fourteenth century, involved a vast region stretching between northwest Europe and China. Writing in a clear and lively style, Abu-Lughod explores the reasons for the eventual decay of this system and the rise of European hegemony. She concludes with a provocative analysis of our current world economy, suggesting that we may be moving towards a pluralistic world similar in important respects to that of the thirteenth century.Trade Review'Abu-Lughod's humanity is evident throughout this work as she describes in personalized yet dignifying prose the variety and commonalty of cultures acorss space and time. This book is both a gem and a landmark study.' Philip McMichael, Cornell University, Theory and Society, 22, 1993

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Book SynopsisWhy are some nations more technically creative than others and why do some highly innovative societies eventually stagnate? In this provocative study of the value and meaning of technological advance, Joel Mokyr considers how past physical and social conditions have influenced the development and reception of new ideas, and shows how these trends can guide future industrial strategies at a time when more countries than ever before are competing for the rewards of technical ingenuity.Trade ReviewThis is an important book about the determinants of technological creativity and why the West has been successful in promoting and adopting new technology for economic progress. The Lever of Riches is a valuable book that every economist should read. * Gary D. Libecap, University of Arizona, Journal of Comparative Economics 15 (1991) *it brings together a wealth of information on the development of technology and the means of analysing it ... it is so splendidly provocative * Roger Burt, University of Exeter, Economic History Review, Aug '91 *This is an ambitious and intriguing book ... What marks it out is the sophisticated handling of the theory of techonological change, within an evolutionary theoretical paradigm ... this is an important, erudite and engrossing book, and is lifely to be one of the key works in the emerging evolutionary analysis of technological change. It is essential reading for those interested in both economic history and the development of evolutionary economics. * Geoff Hodgson, University of Cambridge *Table of ContentsPart I: Introduction; Part II: Classical antiquity; The Middle Ages; The Renaissance and beyond; The years of miracles: the Industrial Revolution; The later Nineteenth century; Part III: Understanding technological progress; Classical and medieval technology; China and Europe; The industrial revolution: Britain and Europe; Part IV: Evolution and the dynamics of technological change

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Book SynopsisThis book examines why certain countries have achieved, at some period in their history, economic superiority over all other countries. The author is particularly interested not only in the factors that lead to this primacy, but also the factors that cause the primacy to end. The study begins in 1350 with Italian city-states, and continues through Portugal, Spain, the Low Countries, Great Britain, and the United States. Additional chapters treat France as a perennial challenger, Germany which twice waged war to attain primacy, and Japan.Trade ReviewA valuable addition to all libraries. * Choice *

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Book SynopsisThis book is a reassessment of the international monetary crises of the post-World War I period that led to the Great Depression of the 1930s. It also analyses the responses of the world economic powers to the Depression and how new monetary policies set the stage for the watershed post-World War II system established at Bretton Woods. It offers new theories of what effect the Great Depression had on the collapse of the world monetary system, and what effect the collapse had on deepening and prolonging the Depression, by exploring the link between global economic crisis and the the gold standard (the framework for international monetary affairs until 1931). The events described had a profound effect upon twentieth-century history: the Depression abetted the rise of Hitler and the demise of the gold standard is a historical cause of inflation.Trade Review`brilliant new book' Newsweek`This is a first-rate book. It should become an instant classic in the field.' Peter Temin, Massachusetts Institute of Technology`Eichengreen illuminates the role of the gold standard in his masterly analysis of the global economic and political forces that produced the Great Depression and economic recovery after 1933.' Anna J. Schwartz, National Bureau of Economic Research`Golden Fetters compels us to re-examine familiar ideas about economic pathology in the interwar period and the way the gold standard functioned before the First World War ... This is the most important contribution to the subject since the works of Brown and Nurske, more than four decades ago.' Peter B. Kenen, Princeton University`It looks to me to be quite a tour de force, by the outstanding contemporary scholar of the 20th century history of the international monetary system.' John Williamson, Senior Fellow, Institute for International Economics`Professor Eichengreen has succeeded in providing a rare blend of well-balanced economic and historical analysis ... There is no doubt in my mind that historians will see Golden Fetters as the standard work on the subject for years to come.' Gianni Toniolo, University of Venice`[Eichengreen's] book provides new and insightful analyses of how the gold standard worked and its role in the economic crisis of the interwar years.' David Hale, Chief Economist and Senior Vice President, Kemper Financial Services Corporation`Anyone tempted to make historical parallels between the EMS and the gold standard should read Barry Eichengreen's scholarl account ... his book is written with a clarity that allows one to identify both elements of the gold standard that were unique and those that are common to any regime of fixed exchange rates.' Times Literary Supplement`will quickly become the standard work ... it is superbly written and achieves its objective of being accessible to the general reader ... this is an excellent book and ... quite compelling reading' Business HistoryThis new international history of the inter-war gold standard, which will quickly become the standard work and should have immediate publication in paperback to encourage the widest readership, succeeds at a number of levels ... it is superbly written and achieves its objective of being accessible to the general reader ... it shows how national histories can be knitted together into a coherent analysis of an international economic crisis ... it breaks new ground in two important respects ... this is an excellent book and ... quite compelling reading.' Business History'This is a complex, densely argued and nuanced book, whose argument and flavour can scarcely be conveyed in a short review. Eichengreen's argument is important, and once absorbed will change the historical terrain. This is a wonderfully stimulating book ... a book which all interested in the period should read, and which will be of particular interest to readers of this journal. It is not, however, one to read on the Costa Brava with a bottle of wine.' Kathleen Burk, University College, London, Financial History ReviewIt is superb monetary history ... The great strength of Eichengreen's historical analysis is his enormously wide knowledge of, and sympathy for, economic and political conditions in all the major countries concerned ... a marvelous book. It is, in addition, beautifully written, and fully accessible to general readers (no mathematics, and lots of contemporary cartoons). A real pleasure to read, the work of a master economic historian. * International Journal of Finance and Economics *

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Book SynopsisEight essays by Euclides da Cunha, author of Os Sertoes, about his trip through the Amazon in 1905, written to bring to life the Brazilian hinterlands to the urban citizens.Table of ContentsSeries Editors' General Introduction Translator's Note Introduction by Lucia Sa The Amazon Glossary Notes Bibliography

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Book SynopsisBy the mid-eighteenth century, the transatlantic slave trade was considered to be a necessary and stabilizing factor in the capitalist economies of Europe and the expanding Americas. Britain was the most influential power in this system which seemed to have the potential for unbounded growth. In 1833, the British empire became the first to liberate its slaves and then to become a driving force toward global emancipation. There has been endless debate over the reasons behind this decision. This has been portrayed on the one hand as a rational disinvestment in a foundering overseas system, and on the other as the most expensive per capita expenditure for colonial reform in modern history. In this work, Seymour Drescher argues that the plan to end British slavery, rather than being a timely escape from a failing system, was, on the contrary, the crucial element in the greatest humanitarian achievement of all time. The Mighty Experiment explores how politicians, colonial bureaucrats, pampTrade Review""Seymour Drescher's magnificent book on the British Act of Emancipation of 1833, and many other things besides, explains the role of the eighteenth-century scince of political economy in the anti-slavery movement."-EH-NET

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Book SynopsisMilitary and defence related procurement has been an important source of technology development across a broad spectrum of industries that account for an important share of United States industrial production. Changes in the structure of the defence industries and of the U.S. industrial economy make it unlikely that military and defence related procurement would again become an important source of revolutionary new technologies in the absence of a major war.Trade ReviewWe owe Ruttan a debt of gratitude for demonstrating yet again the importance of public sector support in the development of many major technologies. * Journal of Economic Literature *

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Book SynopsisThe European Economy between the Wars, (OUP, 1997) has become the definitive economic history of Europe in the inter-war period. Placing the Great Depression of 1929-33 and the associated financial crisis at the center of the narrative, the authors comprehensively examined the lead-up to and consequences of the depression and recovery. Peter Temin and Gianni Toniolo (their former co-author, Charles H. Feinstein, has died) now expand their scope to include the entire world economy, and have created a new edition: The World Economy between the Wars. New material focuses on the structure of the world economy in the 1920s, including a special focus on the United States, Japan, and Latin America. In addition, chapters that discuss the post-depression recovery now cover The New Deal and recovery in general in the United States and Japan. This new edition is a necessary update, and invaluable resource for those who desire an overview of the inter-war area beyond the usual discussion of the 19Trade ReviewWhen the Charles Feinstein, Peter Temin, and Gianni Toniolo published The European Economy Between the World Wars over ten years ago, it immediately became the standard history of European economic developments in the 1920s and 1930s. Now the authors have expanded the previous work very substantially to the international economy as a whole. The World Economy Between the World Wars is, like its predecessor, destined to be an instant classic. It is a comprehensive and balanced account of one of the most important and perplexing periods in world economic history. The authors analyze the economics, and the political economy, of the global and national trends that culminated in the Great Depression and eventually World War Two. In doing so, they provide both an insightful historical account of a crucial era, and thoughtful observations on its implications for the contemporary age. * Jeff Frieden, Professor of Government, Harvard University *Table of ContentsChapter 1: The interwar economy in a secular perspective ; Chapter 2: The legacy of the First World War ; Chapter 3: The crises of the 1920s ; Chapter 4: Output, productivity and technical progress in the 1920s ; Chapter 5: International capital movements ; Chapter 6: The onset of the great depression ; Chapter 7: Unemployment ; Chapter 8: The fragmented world of the 1930s ; Chapter 9: Industrial progress and recovery ; Chapter 10: Epilogue: the past and the present ; Guide to further reading ; References ; Index

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Book SynopsisThe Silk Road was the current name for a complex of ancient trade routes linking East Asia with Central Asia, South Asia, and the Mediterranean world. This network of exchange emerged along the borders between agricultural China and the steppe nomads during the Han Dynasty (206BCE-220CE), in consequence of the inter-dependence and the conflicts of these two distinctive societies. In their quest for horses, fragrances, and spices, gems, glassware, and other exotics from the lands to their west, the Han Empire extended its dominion over the oases around the Takla Makan Desert and sent silk all the way to the Mediterranean, either through the land routes leading to the caravan city of Palmyra in Syria desert, or by way of northwest India, the Arabian Sea and the Red Sea, landing at Alexandria. The Silk Road survived the turmoil of the demise of the Han and Roman Empires, reached its golden age during the early middle age, when the Byzantine Empire and the Tang Empire became centers of silk culture and established the models for high culture of the Eurasian world. The coming of Islam extended silk culture to an even larger area and paved the way for an expanded market for textiles and other commodities. By the 11th century, however, the Silk Road was in decline because of intense competition from the sea routes of the Indian Ocean. Using demand and supply as the framework for analyzing the formation and development of the Silk Road, the book examines the dynamics of the interactions of the nomadic pastoralists with sedentary agriculturalists, and the spread of new ideas, religions, and values into the world of commerce, thus illustrating the cultural forces underlying material transactions. This effort at tracing the interconnections of the diverse participants in the transcontinental Silk Road exchange will demonstrate that the world had been linked through economic and ideological forces long before the modern era.Trade ReviewA welcome addition to the New Oxford World History series...Any general reader interested in silk or textiles will enjoy this book, but so too will one who is captivated by any other aspect of the Silk Road, for it provides a quick but fascinating historical narrative. As a textbook for a world history class, its appeal lies not only in the romance of the Silk Road but also in its use of material culture to write world history by connecting economic and political activities with the religious values of various traditions. * Journal of Asian Studies *A carefully constructed narrative and analysis...This is an excellent text that will be useful for orientating students and introducing them to the sources and interpretive problems of ancient and medieval Central Asian history. * World History Bulletin *Table of ContentsChapter 1: China looks west ; Chapter 2: Rome looks east ; Chapter 3: The Kushan Empire and the Silk Road ; Chapter 4: The golden age: The Byzantine Empire (310-1453 CE) and Tang China (618-906 CE) ; Chapter 5: The coming of Islam ; Chapter 6: Religions, languages, and artistic styles of the Silk Road

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Book SynopsisA vast region stretching roughly from the Volga River to Manchuria and the northern Chinese borderlands, Central Asia has been called the pivot of history, a land where nomadic invaders and Silk Road traders changed the destinies of states that ringed its borders, including pre-modern Europe, the Middle East, and China. In Central Asia in World History, Peter B. Golden provides an engaging account of this important region, ranging from prehistory to the present, and focusing largely on the unique melting pot of cultures that this region has produced. Golden describes the traders who braved the heat and cold along caravan routes to link East Asia and Europe; the Mongol Empire of Genghis Khan and his successors, the largest contiguous land empire in history; the invention of gunpowder, which allowed the great sedentary empires to overcome the horse-based nomads; the power struggles of Russia and China, and later Russia and Britain, for control of the area. Finally, he discusses the regioTrade ReviewThis concise but comprehensive textbook outlines the transformation of Central Asia from prehistory to the collapse of the USSR. ... The scope is ambitious ... the book is chronologically, spatially, and thematically wide-ranging without sacrificing the level of detail in the narrative. * Jagjeet Lally, Journal of Global History *Table of Contents1. Editors' Preface

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Book SynopsisA timely update of the authoritative, engaging history of Wall Street and its role in the economic history of the United States and the world.

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Book SynopsisThe letter-books of the Royal African Company of England form the most substantial and important source of material on English trade in West Africa in the late seventeenth century. The original texts, covering the period 1681-1699, are being published in full in three or four volumes. This first volume contains the letters for the years 1681-1683.Trade ReviewRobin Law is to be commended for editing the Rawlinson collection in an important, scholarly, three-volume set. * African Affairs *

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Book SynopsisThe great depression of the years between the World Wars is widely held to have led to the collapse of democracy in many countries. This study of Greece, which recovered quickly from the economic crisis, argues that there is no simple correlation between economic and political crisis.Trade Review'masterly, and very well-written ... Mazower's book provides the indispensable economic context of the slide towards authoritarianism in 1930s Greece, a development that was paralleled in the other countries of the Balkans.' Times Higher Education Supplement`closely researched study, ... it is an authoritative analysis of Greek politicians in their social and economic context and of the interplay of domestic political, economic and social forces. Nigel Clive, The Times Literary Supplement'a splendid study ... a well-written and thoroughly researched book, one valuable to the scholar and interesting and enlightening to the general reader. It should become an indispensable reading for all students of modern Greek history. Mazower has produced a good book.' John A. Koumoulides, Ball State University, History'Thanks to his knowledge of the language, Mazower makes good use of a wealth of information available in Greek.' Thanos Veremis, University of Athens, European History Quarterly'this pathbreaking study will do much to attract interest to a previously neglected area ... It is the first scholarly work on Modern Greek economic history to appear in English ... Meticulously researched ... and accompanied by a wealth of illuminating tables ... this volume will be of interest to more than economic historians, and the author has clearly made great efforets to make the book accessible to all readers ... This is a volume that provides what has long been the missing economic dimension in the history of inter-war Greece; as such, it will be essential for anyone looking at Greece's political history.' Erik Goldstein, University of Birmingham, MGS 11:2, October 1993The author has made extensive use of Greek sources and recent Greek research and he brings out the ebb and flow of Greek politics as well. * English Historical Review *Table of ContentsList of abbreviations; Introduction; Politics and social change; The wartime inheritance; Reconstruction and recovery; The export crisis; The financial crisis; Abandoning the Gold Standard; The new trade regime; Domestic recovery and the state; Conclusion; Tables; Appendix 1. Debt default of the periphery; Appendix 2. The impact of import restrictions; Bibliography; Index

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Book SynopsisThis classic study of a single community in early modern England has had a major influence on the interpretation of the social dynamics of the period. It opens with a chapter establishing this small Essex parish in the national context of economic and social change in the years between 1525 and 1700. Thereafter the chapters examine the economy of Terling; its demographic history; its social structure; the relationships of the villagers with the courts of the church and state; the growth of popular literacy; the impact of the reformation, and the rise in puritanism. The overall process of change is then characterized in a powerful interpretive chapter on the changing pattern of social relationships in the parish.This revised edition has a new chapter, ''Terling Revisited'' which addresses the debate occasioned by the book, notably over kinship relations in early modern England, and the impact of puritanism on local society. In both cases a new interpretive synthesis is attempted and the argument of the first edition is defended, elaborated, and advanced in the light of subsequent research.Trade ReviewFrom reviews of the hardback: `This book is one of the best of its kind. Wrightson and Levine have produced a powerful model to which all later studies will refer.' American Historical Review

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Book SynopsisIn this volume an international team of scholars builds up a comprehensive analysis of the fiscal history of Europe over six centuries. It forms a fundamental starting-point for an understanding of the distinctiveness of the emerging European states, and highlights the issue of fiscal power as an essential prerequisite for the development of the modern state.Trade Reviewthe fifteen contributors have published much in their fields, and their collective scholarly authority lends value to this book. It deserves, indeed, the approbation of the European Union, and the Presses universitaires de France might proudly and promptly publish it in French * American Historical Review (Oct 2000) *By covering such an extended range of 'states' this volume presents a unique guide to national fiscal institutions and a basis for comparing their different character and evolution. * G. L. Harris, EHR *The overall organisation and breadth of this collection on Europes fiscal history are as impressive as the authors credentials ... this is a fine book. * A.Barrett, Choice, July/Aug 00, Vol.37, No.11/12. *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. England in the Middle Ages ; 2. England 1485-1815 ; 3. France in the Middle Ages ; 4. France 1494-1815 ; 5. Castile in the Middle Ages ; 6. Castile 1516-1808 ; 7. The Holy Roman Empire in the Middle Ages ; 8. The Low Countries to 1569 ; 9. The United Provinces 1579-1806 ; 10. The Swiss Confederation ; 11. The Papacy and the Papal States ; 12. Venice ; 13. The Italian States after c.1600 ; 14. Poland-Lithuania before Partition ; 15. Russia 1200-1815 ; Index

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Book SynopsisWhile ethics has been an integral part of economics since the days of Adam Smith (if not Aristotle), many modern economists dismiss ethical concerns in favor of increasing formal mathematical and computational methods. But recent financial crises in the real world have reignited discussions of the importance of ethics to economics, including growing calls for a new approach to incorporating moral philosophy in economic theory, practice, and policy. Ironically, it is the ethics of virtue advocated by Aristotle and Adam Smith that may lead to the most promising way to developing an economics that emphasizes the virtues, character, and judgment of the agents it models. In Economics and the Virtues, editors Jennifer A. Baker and Mark D. White have brought together fifteen leading scholars in economics and philosophy to offer fresh perspectives on integrating virtue into economics. The first section covers five major thinkers and schools in the virtue tradition, tracing historical connectioTrade ReviewWhat kinds of habits to markets engender? Does capitalism corrupt, or does it promote trust, cooperation, and the development of human excellance? Can economists really make sense of human behaviour without paying attention to questions of character? Jennifer A.Baker and Mark D.White's fascinating volume assembles a wide-raning roster of scholars who lay out the best current thinking on these questions in erudite yet readable prose. It turns out that economists do have much to learn from the rich moral psychology of Aristotle, the Stoics, Adam Smith, and Kant. It turns out that markets aren't so bad for the soul. This is an indispensable collection for anyone interested in moral psychology, economic theory, or the morality of markets. * Will Wilkinson, Vice President for the Policy, Niskanen Center and former writer for The Economist *Twentieth century economics sought rigour in models of rational choice, thereby bracketing concern with the goods that economic action can seek or undermine, and distancing economics from ethics. Economics and the Virtues is a rich and rewarding collection that brings together stimulating accounts of this loss and of some possibilities for retrieval. It explore classical accounts of the virtues, and argues that they remain essential not only to character but to culture, including the culture of markets' * Onora O'Neill, Baroness O'Neill of Bengarve, and Emeritus Professor of Philosophy, University of Cambridge *Table of ContentsPART I: APPROACHES TO VIRTUE AND ECONOMICS; PART II: VIRTUE AND ECONOMICS IN THEORY; PART III: VIRTUE AND ECONOMICS IN PRACTICE

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Book SynopsisAround 1500 England''s society and economy had reached a turning point. After a long period of slow change and even stagnation, an age of innovation and initiative was in motion, with enclosure, voyages of discovery, and new technologies. It was an age of fierce controversy, in which the government was fearful of beggars and wary of rebellions. The ''commonwealth'' writers such as Thomas More were sharply critical of the greed of profit hungry landlords who dispossessed the poor. This book is about a wool merchant and large scale farmer who epitomises in many ways the spirit of the period. John Heritage kept an account book, from which we can reconstruct a whole society in the vicinity of Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire. He took part in the removal of a village which stood in the way of agricultural ''improvement'', ran a large scale sheep farm, and as a ''woolman'' spent much time travelling around the countryside meeting with gentry, farmers, and peasants in order to buy their woolTrade Review[A] rich work ... greatly enhances our appreciation of the more dynamic elements typical of the period. * R. B. Peberdy, Oxoniensia *Dyer is scrupulous in sticking to his sources, and in doing so provides us with a fresh, deep and measured understanding of rural society at the turn of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. * Paul Warde, History *Christopher Dyer's most recent book shows his characteristic impeccable scholarship and ability to illuminate the lives of otherwise obscure people. ... I am a great fan of Dyer's work and can wholeheartedly recommend this book to other readers. * Kathleen Troup, Parergon *a significant work of scholarship about a Gloucestershire wool merchant and large-scale farmer. ... Highly informative and a pleasure to read, with much more than local importance. * Northern History *This is a dense, detailed and highly scholarly book which can be read with pleasure, as well as for enlightenment. * Paul Stamper, Journal of Medieval Archaeology *Throughout his long and distinguished career, Dyer's work has been characterized by clear presentation of arguments and accessible prose, and this book is no exception. The publisher has sought to broaden the book's appeal to a general readership by including a large number of photographs of places discussed in the text and providing other useful ancillary material. * James Masschaele, Agricultural History Review *Table of Contents1. Introduction: Living in 1495-1520 ; 2. Family and household: John Heritage and his Contemporaries ; 3. John Heritage's Country ; 4. John Heritage's Wool Business ; 5. Pasture, Sheep, Wool, and People ; 6. Beyond the Account Book: Changing the Countryside ; 7. Individuals and Communities ; 8. Conclusion ; Appendix 1: Sample pages from the account book ; Appendix 2: Tables of gathered wool, Heritage's own wool, and wool prices ; Appendix 3: Deserted Villages ; Bibliography ; Index

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