The First Industrial Revolutions

by Peter Mathias (Editor)

This is the first volume in the new series "The Nature of Industrialization". It provides a critical review of controversy over the established interpretations of industrialization processes in Britain and Europe before 1950. This book starts off with a general critical discussion of conventional images of the industrial revolution in Britain and the relations between industrialization in England and in Europe during this period. Following essays offer more detailed analysis of five specific how industrialization was financed; transport; agriculture; population; and the transformation of work under European industrialization, there is also some comparative discussion of Europe's relations with the rest of the world. This book provides an introduction to recent groundbreaking work on the nature and causes of industrialization. It is also an introduction to the series as a whole; many of the issues raised here in the context of the first industrial revolution will be taken up on a thematic and comparative basis in subsequent volumes.

Genres: History, Economics, Business, Nonfiction

184 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1983

About the author

Peter Mathias, CBE FRHistS FBA MAE was a British economic historian and the former Chichele Professor of Economic History at the University of Oxford. His research focused on the history of industry, business, and technology, both in Britain and Europe.

Reviews

[Olly Colluphid · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a text book giving a tour of Britain's ecomic history through the industrial revolution. It is dry and dense, full of facts and ideas. It is a jumping off point for essays and investigations rather than a good read in itself.

Glad I've read it, but it was hard work at times! Which seems reasonable for a text book.

It didn't really address my query which was about the true impact of slavery in the period. Other than saying it is hard to work out, which is probably fair.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this for a first year degree course in economic and social history. Considering I spent my first year arguing about religion and philosophy, reading Camus and Sartre, drinking beer and chasing girls (not necessarily in that order), then the book must be ok because I passed the course.

[Julian Haigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Non-ideological and full of stats. This is what economic history should be.

[Jarek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Non-economist's thoughts: Fairly approachable for someone with only slight understanding of economics, although you might want to skip some of the denser tables and discussion.

In addition to titular economic history, also discusses conditions in 17th and 18th centuries that allowed the start of the industrial transformation, and discusses problems British industry ran into in second half of 19th and in 20th century as other countries caught up.

[Maurice Halton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Peter Mathias' book is a standard for students of economic history. Simply a classic.

[Nico Macdonald]

Owned by Francis Pugh.