Description
Book SynopsisThe industrial revolution stands out as a key event not simply in British history, but in world history, ushering in as it did a new era of sustained economic prosperity. But what exactly was the 'industrial revolution'? And why did it occur in Britain when it did? Ever since the expression was coined in the 19th century, historians have been debating these questions, and there now exists a large and complex historiography concerned with English industrialisation. This short history of the British Industrial Revolution, aimed at undergraduates, sets out to answer these questions. It will synthesise the latest research on British industrialisation into an exciting and interesting account of the industrial revolution. Deploying clear argument, lively language, and a fresh set of organising themes, this short history revisits one of the most central events in British history in a novel and accessible way. This is an ideal text for undergraduate students studying the Industrial Revolutio
Trade ReviewThis book is an ideal starting point for students studying the industrial revolution, offering up-to-date and penetrating coverage of existing scholarship, while subtly making an original contribution to our understanding of the causes and character of the world’s first industrial revolution. * Peter Maw, University of Leeds, UK *
This book is an excellent introduction to the British Industrial Revolution. Emma Griffin has digested a wealth of complex debates to create a convincing two-phase model of growth which makes sense of living standards, population, natural resources and work. * Alysa Levene, Oxford Brookes University, UK *
Table of ContentsIntroduction Counting Growth: Measuring the Economy A Growing Population A Mobile Population Worlds of Work The 'Mechanical Age': Technology, Innovation and Industrialisation Coal: the Key to the British Industrial Revolution? Why was Britain first? The Global Context for Industrialisation Winners and Losers: Standards of Living in the Industrial Revolution Bibliography Index.
