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  3. Cambridge Studies in Modern Economic History

Titles in this series are primarily concerned with the history of economic performance, output and productivity, assessing the characteristics, causes and consequences of economic growth (and stagnation) in the Western world.

  • Edited by: Charles Feinstein, All Souls College, Oxford, Patrick O'Brien, The Institute of Historical Research, London, Barry Supple, Peter Temin, Gianni Toniolo, Universitá degli Studi di Venezia

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7 results in Cambridge Studies in Modern Economic History

Productivity and Performance in the Paper Industry
  • Labour, Capital and Technology in Britain and America, 1860–1914
  • Gary Bryan Magee
  • Published online:
    16 March 2010
    Print publication:
    27 March 1997
  • This pioneering 1997 study examines the economic development of the British paper industry between 1860 and 1914 - an era in which it is often claimed that the origins of Britain's relative economic decline are first witnessed. For paper-making, this was also a period in which an array of important new forces, including inter alia the development of new raw materials and the move to ever larger scales of production, came on the scene. Gary Bryan Magee looks at the effect of these changes and assesses how effectively the industry coped with the new pressures, drawing upon an extensive range of quantitative and archival sources from Britain, America, and other countries. Along the way, Dr Magee addresses issues central to the understanding of industrial competitiveness, such as technological change, entrepreneurship, productivity, trade policy, and industrial relations.

An Economic History of the Silk Industry, 1830–1930
  • Giovanni Federico
  • Published online:
    29 January 2010
    Print publication:
    01 May 1997
  • An Economic History of the Silk Industry, 1830–1930, first published in 1997, is an ambitious historical analysis of the development of a major commodity. Dr Federico examines the rapid growth of the world silk industry from the early nineteenth century to the eve of the Great Depression of the 1930s. Silk production grew as a result of Western industrialisation, which in turn brought about increased incomes and thus increased demand for silk products. The author documents the changes in methods of production and the technical progress that enabled the silk industry to cope with this new influx in demand. Dr Federico then discusses the significant changes in the geographical distribution of world output that accompanied this growth. In conclusion, Federico points out that silk did indeed becomes the first example of a Japanese success story on the world market, Italy and China both losing their markets due to Japan's large agricultural supply of raw material (cocoons) and its adroitness in importing and adopting Western technology.

Spanish Agriculture
  • The Long Siesta, 1765–1965
  • James Simpson
  • Published online:
    04 December 2009
    Print publication:
    01 February 1996
  • Spanish Agriculture: The Long Siesta, 1765–1965, first published in 1996, is a major study in English of Spanish agrarian history. James Simpson examines how traditional agriculture responded to population growth and the integration of commodity markets, emphasising both Spain's regional variations and its context in Europe. Using statistical data as well as his wide knowledge of the recent secondary literature, Simpson argues that decisive changes in farming techniques only occurred at the start of this century. He rejects arguments that slow growth can be explained by poor resources or inefficient farmers. Indeed, farmers were quick to change when they had market opportunities, but development was interrupted by the Spanish Civil War and subsequent short-sighted government policies, only resuming in the 1950s. This comprehensive study will be of relevance to students and scholars of historical geography and agrarian history, as well as economic history.

Democratic Socialism and Economic Policy
  • The Attlee Years, 1945–1951
  • Jim Tomlinson
  • Published online:
    09 November 2009
    Print publication:
    13 November 1996
  • This major study analyses the economic policies of the Attlee government, both international and domestic, in the light of Labour's issues and doctrines about the economy. Jim Tomlinson highlights the concern of the government with issues of industrial efficiency, and how this concern pervaded all areas of economic policy. He focuses on the economic aspects of the creation of the welfare state, and how efficiency concerns led to a great deal of austerity in the design of welfare provision. In addition, Tomlinson offers detailed discussion of the labour market in this period, both the attempts to 'plan' that market and the tensions in the policies created by attempts to attract more women into paid work. Students, professional historians and even politicians will greatly benefit from this broad-based reappraisal of a crucial era.

Central and Eastern Europe, 1944–1993
  • Detour from the Periphery to the Periphery
  • Ivan Berend
  • Published online:
    28 October 2009
    Print publication:
    29 August 1996
  • In this wide-ranging account, Ivan Berend traces the post-war fortunes of the countries lying between Germany and the former Soviet Union. Professor Berend draws both on his academic expertise and personal involvement in many of the events which he describes to produce a synthesis of a huge array of materials. His study stretches beyond the confines of economic history to provide insights into the complex interplay of ideological, social and political forces in the 'Eastern Bloc' countries over the last fifty years of revolutionary change. In particular Berend's analysis of totalitarianism, the development of nationalism, and the personalities at the centre of political life in eastern Europe offers an alternative perspective on the economies of the state-socialist regimes at the periphery of the western industrialised world.

Firms, Networks and Business Values
  • The British and American Cotton Industries since 1750
  • Mary B. Rose
  • Published online:
    12 September 2009
    Print publication:
    30 November 2000
  • This book explores the long-term forces shaping business attitudes in the British and American cotton industries from the eighteenth to the twentieth century. Mary Rose traces social, political and developmental differences from the early stages of industrialization. She demonstrates how firms become embedded in networks, and evolve according to business values and strategies. The book examines local and regional networks, the changing competitive environment, community characteristics and national differences. Rose's findings challenge traditional views with new evidence that the character and achievements of each industry uniquely reflect local circumstances and historical experience. This is a critical synthesis of the multidisciplinary literature on the cotton textile industries of two major industrial nations and a study of the changing forces influencing decision making. An important contribution to comparative business history, this book will be of interest to graduates and scholars in all areas of business and economic history.

Grain Markets in Europe, 1500–1900
  • Integration and Deregulation
  • Karl Gunnar Persson
  • Published online:
    10 September 2009
    Print publication:
    09 December 1999
  • In this 1999 book, Karl Gunnar Persson surveys a broad sweep of economic history, examining one of the most crucial markets - grain. His analysis allows him to draw more general lessons, for example that liberalization of markets was linked to political authoritarianism. Grain Markets in Europe traces the markets' early regulation, their poor performance and the frequent market failures. Price volatility caused by harvest shocks was of major concern for central and local government because of the unrest it caused. Regulation became obsolete when markets became more integrated and performed better through trade triggered by falling transport costs. Persson, a specialist in economic history, uses insights from development economics, explores contemporary economic thought on the advantages of free trade, and measures the extent of market integration using the latest econometric methods. Grain Markets in Europe will be of value to scholars and students in economic history, social history and agricultural and institutional economics.