This outstanding history describes and accounts for Britain's rise as the world's first industrial world power, its decline from the temporary dominance of the pioneer, its rather special relationship with the rest of the world (notably the underdeveloped countries) and the effects of all these on the life of the British people.
Industry and Empire: From 175 to the Present Day
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About the Author
Eric Hobsbawm was born in 1917. Educated in Vienna, Berlin, London and Cambridge, he became a Fellow of the British Academy and has been showered with academic honours from around the world. He taught until retirement at Birkbeck College, University of London, and since then at the New School for Social Research in New York. His many books have been translated into several languages.
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful
By Luc REYNAERT
Format:Paperback
Eric Hobsbawm's analysis of the Industrial Revolution is magisterial. The IR was not only an acceleration of growth, but an acceleration of growth through economic and social transformation.
It was also solidly founded on political and military pillars.
Politically, the kings were subordinated to Parliament, which was controlled by an oligarchy of landowning capitalist aristocrats. The British government based nearly all its policies on economic ends. At home, it provided support for technical innovation and the development of the capital goods industry. It crushed also foreign competition. Its foreign policies were based on war and colonization, which permitted to capture other countries' export markets.
Militarilly, it used the strenght of its Navy as a trade-minded weapon.
It was also solidly founded on political and military pillars.
Politically, the kings were subordinated to Parliament, which was controlled by an oligarchy of landowning capitalist aristocrats. The British government based nearly all its policies on economic ends. At home, it provided support for technical innovation and the development of the capital goods industry. It crushed also foreign competition. Its foreign policies were based on war and colonization, which permitted to capture other countries' export markets.
Militarilly, it used the strenght of its Navy as a trade-minded weapon.
The first phase of the IR (1780-1840) was based on cotton; the second one on coal, iron and steel.
It constituted for nearly the whole British population a fundamental change, from the countryside to the city, and from a life of bare and uncertain subsistence to relative affluence.
The decline began already before WWI, when Britain became a parasitic economy, living off the remains of world monopoly.
The last part of the book is rather more an enumeration of pure statistics.
The author states also that Britain was 'never defeated in war, still less destroyed.'
In his magnificent biography of J.M. Keynes (part II), Prof. Skidelsky shows clearly that the debt contracted during WWII left Britain bankrupt after the war. His analysis of the negotiations about the Bretton-Woods system and the conversion of the British debt exposes mightily that the ultimate goal of the US Administration was the destruction of the British Empire and its Commonwealth ties. The US operation was a sound success.
The US assured its place as new world leader, until now.
A highly recommended book.
20 of 21 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
Eric Hobsbawn is reknowned the world over for his quite brilliant writings on Industrial History. His writing brings to life the past,explains the past, is informative and never dull. You'll love this book even if you don't know what industrial history is about. But for those that don't know the book charts Britains history from about 1780-1900,it explains how we bacame a great empire and for example what impact the steam age or canals had on our country. You really *need* to read this book.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By Tony fretton
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is a fine book by a leading historian. When I had got used to the writing style the book presented a very informative analysis of how the UK manages to be ahead of the economic and cultural curve while at the same time politically and socially dysfunctional. The writers political views, unless you are a right wing instinctualist, are properly and carefully engaged.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Retains its relevance
It was a pure and bizarre coincidence Eric Hobsbawm's death came as I was in the middle of reading this. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Steve Keen
4.0 out of 5 stars
GOOD STUFF
Came exactly how it was described. Slightly worn but only being used for referencing at uni so is satisfactory. Read more
Published 18 months ago by R. Brookes
1.0 out of 5 stars
Too much waffle
I read this book not because I wanted to but because I needed to. However, the introduction was exciting and I read on with some interest. Read more
Published on 21 Jan 2004
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