Globalization and History：The Evolution of a Nineteenth-Century Atlantic Economy

Globalizationisnotanewphenomenon,norisitirreversible.InGobalizationandHistory,KevinO'RourkeandJeffreyWilliamsonpresentacoherentpictureoftrade,migration,andinternationalcapitalflowsintheAtlanticeconomyinthecenturypriorto1914--thefirstgreatglobalizationboom,whichanticipatedtheexperienceofthelastfiftyyears.Theauthorsestimatetheextentofglobalizationanditsimpactontheparticipatingcountries,anddiscussthepoliticalreactionsthatitprovoked.Thebook'soriginalityliesinitsapplicationofthetoolsofopen-economyeconomicstothiscriticalhistoricalperiod--differentiatingitfrommostpreviouswork,whichhasbeenbasedonclosed-economyorsingle-sectormodels.Theauthorsalsokeepacloseeyeonglobalizationdebatesofthe1990s,usinghistorytoinformthepresentandviceversa.Thebookbringstogetherresearchconductedbytheauthorsoverthepastdecade--workthathasprofoundlyinfluencedhoweconomichistoryisnowwrittenandthathasfoundaudiencesineconomicsandhistory,aswellasinthepopularpress.