This volume, first published in 1971, brings together eleven essays and articles on the history of the industrial revolution. Method is the central consideration, and the author discusses ways in which historians have analysed the industrial revolution, demonstrates inconsistency and bias in their interpretations, and suggests an appropriate framework of economic theory for future studies. This title will be of interest to students of history and economics.

This volume, first published in 1971, brings together eleven essays and articles on the history of the industrial revolution. Method is the central consideration, and the author discusses ways in which historians have analysed the industrial revolution, demonstrates inconsistency and bias in their interpretations, and suggests an appropriate framework of economic theory for future studies. This title will be of interest to students of history and economics.

This text is a wide-ranging survey of the principal economic and social aspects of the first Industrial Revolution.

The 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 Revolution or 19th Century Britain.

In recent years, scholars from a variety of disciplines have addressed many perplexing questions about the Industrial Revolution in all its aspects. Understandably, economics has become the focal point for these efforts as professional economists have sought to resolve some of the controversies surrounding this topic. First published in 1985, this collection contains ten key essays written by leading economists on the subject of the Industrial Revolution. Among the questions discussed are the causes for the pre-eminence of Britain, the roles of the inputs for growth (capital, labor, technical progress), the importance of demand factors, the relation between agricultural progress and the Industrial Revolution, and the standard of living debate. The essays demonstrate that the application of fresh viewpoints to the literature has given us a considerable new body of data at our disposal, making it possible to test commonly held hypotheses. In addition, this new data has enabled economists to apply a more rigorous logic to the thinking about the Industrial Revolution, thus sharpening many issues heretofore blurred by slipshod methodology and internal inconsistencies.

In recent years, scholars from a variety of disciplines have addressed many perplexing questions about the Industrial Revolution in all its aspects. Understandably, economics has become the focal point for these efforts as professional economists have sought to resolve some of the controversies surrounding this topic. This collection contains ten of the best articles written by economists on the subject of the Industrial Revolution ... Among the questions discussed are the causes for the pre-eminence of Britain, the roles of the inputs for growth (capital, labor, technical progress), the importance of demand factors, the relation between agricultural progress and the Industrial Revolution, and the standard of living debate. The essays demonstrate that the application of fresh viewpoints to the literature has given us a considerable new body of data at our disposal, making it possible to test commonly held hypotheses. In addition, this new data has enabled economists to apply a more rigorous logic to the thinking about the Industrial Revolution, thus sharpening many issues heretofore blurred by slipshod methodology and internal inconsistencies.-- Back cover.

This volume has three main themes. First, there is the concept of the Industrial Revolution and its main characteristics, and the author defends both the term and the notions behind it against attempts to play down their significance. A particular interest is the comparison of what happened to Britain with similar processes in other European countries. The second theme is the set of problems facing the early entrepreneurs and managers. Their difficulties, as pioneers in the economic as well as the social sphere, are often underrated, and are here explored in detail. Last, there is an emphasis on the characteristic feature of industrialisation as a regional phenomenon, and on the significance of particular regions in the entire process. All three themes have called forth extended debate, in which these essays have played an important part.