Books by Richard Grassby

In this text, Richard Grassby investigates the origins and evolution of the idea of capitalism to illustrate for readers the true nature, merits and the future of capitalism.

Exploits the wealth of documentation available to establish how Sir Dudley North made a fortune in the Levant commodity trade and through usury. The book explores his character, beliefs and intentions, and the diverse technical and personal reasons for his success.

This uncompromisingly empirical study reconstructs the public and private lives of urban business families during the period of England's emergence as a world economic power. Using a broad cross-section of archival sources, it tests the orthodox view that the family as an institution was transformed by capitalism and individualism.

This comprehensive study describes the structure of business in a pre-industrial economy and examines the way in which social values, demographic factors, the family, state and religion distributed talent, trained and motivated businessmen and determined their life style.