Books in the New Approaches to Economic and Social History series

This revised and extended edition of the leading textbook on European economic history has been updated to take account of contemporary economic developments and the latest research and debates. A concise and accessible introduction that covers the full sweep of the European history, the book focuses on the interplay between the development of institutions and the generation and diffusion of knowledge-based technologies. With simple explanations of key economic principles, the book is an ideal introduction for students in history and economics. Revised textboxes and figures, an extensive glossary, suggestions for further reading and a suite of online resources lead students to a comprehensive understanding of the subject. New material covers contemporary economic developments such as the financial crises of 2007/2008, the Eurozone crisis, new trends in inequality and the austerity debates. This remains the only textbook students need to understand Europe's unique economic development and its global context.

Ever since the financial crisis of 2008, doubts have been raised about the future of capitalism. In this broad-ranging survey of financial capitalism from antiquity to the present, Larry Neal reveals the ways in which the financial innovations throughout history have increased trade and prosperity as well as improving standards of living. These innovations have, however, all too often led to financial crises as a result of the failure of effective coordination among banks, capital markets and governments. The book examines this key interrelationship between financial innovation, government regulation and financial crises across three thousand years, showing through past successes and failures the key factors that underpin any successful recovery and sustain economic growth. The result is both an essential introduction to financial capitalism and also a series of workable solutions that will help both to preserve the gains we have already achieved and to mitigate the dangers of future crises.

Beverly Lemire charts the rise of the cosmopolitan material cultures that reshaped the world c.1500 to 1820. She reveals the role of social, economic and cultural forces in shaping consumer behaviour, as well as the ways in which consumer goods shaped and defined empires and communities.

What explains the variability in economic growth and political development across countries? This toolkit for institutional analysis looks at the effect of institutions, such as policies and laws, and the process by which those institutions are created. It explains how rules affect the performance of countries, firms, and even families.

In recent times, the rapid growth of international economic exchange has changed our lives. But when did this process of globalization begin? Pim de Zwart and Jan Luiten van Zanden show that it began in the early modern era, as the effects of global trade shaped demographic, economic, social and political developments worldwide.

This landmark global economic history explains why the Industrial Revolution occurred in Britain by highlighting the ways in which Britain was different from other countries in Europe and Asia. Combining economic, social, technological and business history, Allen shows the importance of globalisation in explaining the divergence of East and West.

It is only recently that the changing size, shape and capability of the human body has been linked to economic and demographic change. This groundbreaking book provides an accessible introduction to anthropometric history, surveying the economic causes and consequences of changes in health and mortality, diet and the disease environment.

This revealing book exposes the influence of economics and finance on America's decisions to go to war, how those wars were fought, and the long-term consequences for the economy. Ranging from the Spanish-American War to the Gulf War it shows the true cost of these wars for the US economy.

This is the first full account of how an influential form of commercial organization - the multinational enterprise - drove globalization and contributed to the making of the modern world. Robert Fitzgerald explores the major role of multinational enterprises in the events of world history, from the nineteenth century to the present, revealing how the growth of businesses that operated across borders contributed to an unprecedented worldwide transformation and deepening interdependence between countries. He demonstrates how international businesses shaped the economic development and competitiveness of nations, their politics and sovereignty, and the balance of power in international relations. The Rise of the Global Company uses the lessons of history to question prominent contemporary interpretations of multinationals and their consequences, and offers a truly wide-ranging survey of multinational enterprise, spanning two hundred years and five continents.