The Long Road to the Industrial Revolution: The European Economy in a Global Perspective, 1000-1800

by Jan Luiten van Zanden

Why did the Industrial Revolution happen in Western Europe? Was it a sudden acceleration of the European economy, or should we look at specific institutions arising in Western Europe since the Middle Ages? This book puts these big questions of European economic history in a global perspective, deals with the institutions that developed in Europe, and measures their relative efficiency over time and compared with other parts of Eurasia. It traces the growth of human capital in the centuries between 1000 and 1800, in comparison with China, Japan and India. It also demonstrates how important the European Marriage Pattern was for understanding Europe’s past. The result is a new synthesis of the origins of the Industrial Revolution.

Genres: History, Economics, Nonfiction, Economic Development, Social Science

357 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2009

About the author

Jan Luiten van Zanden is Emeritus hoogleraar economische geschiedenis Universiteit Utrecht

Reviews

[Vysloczil]

First of all it needs to be pointed out that the book is, like all other Brill publications, WAY too expensive. I assert that it would be much more influential if it was more affordable.
Overall it is a very balanced account that does not subscribe to any monocausal explanation for why the Industrial Revolution happened: Allen's high wage economy, energy, geography, trade, inventions, institutions (that are potentially a product of better educated people) - everything gets its share of attention. Also the writing style is very accessible. That's why introduction and conclusion could e.g. be assigned for any undergrad economic history course or serve as a quick primer or refresher for anyone who wants a summary of what was going on in the literature in the past decades.

Given the breadth of the title, the center of the book is a bit too detailed as it is mostly formed by single chapters that have been published in scientific journals. Some of them are by other authors (co-authors of van Zanden).

[Arjun Pathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

An extremely deep and well-argued dive into the fascinating dynamics of economic development in Early Modern Europe. I was particularly impressed by the analysis of the European Marriage Pattern and its implications for the growth of wage labor and the market economy.