Empire of cotton transcends this barrier and should be devoured eagerly, not only by scholars and. In the manner but decidedly not the style of a business school case, it tells the history of modern capitalism via the story of its first major product, cotton. Sven beckerts rich, fascinating book tells the story of how, in a remarkably brief period, european entrepreneurs and powerful statesmen recast the worlds most significant manufacturing industry, combining imperial expansion and slave labor with new. The result is a book as unsettling and disturbing as it is enlightening. Sven beckert is a professor of american history at harvard university. A global history, is a simple but compelling syllogism. The epic story of the rise and fall of the empire of cotton, its centrality in the world economy, and its making a remaking and of global capitalism. The cotton industry is fundamental to the development of global capitalism and. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading empire of cotton. Jan 04, 2015 in his important new book, the harvard historian sven beckert makes the case that in the 19th century what most stirred the universe was cotton. Too little presentday academic history is written for the general public. It is astonishing to learn how britain became the capital of the cotton empire, without growing cotton, without the expertise of spinning and weaving and without domestic demand. Slavery was a capitalintensive business and the expansion of us cotton agriculture depended on large sources of credit, most commonly the london money market, where loans were frequently secured on mortgages on slaves. Too little presentday academic history is written for.
Nov 16, 2017 beckert follows cotton through a staggering spatial and chronological scope. Nov 10, 2015 empire of cotton is a monument of a book. This post has been adapted from sven beckerts book, empire of cotton. Winner of the bancroft prizepulitzer prize finalistthe empire of cotton was, from the beginning, a fulcrum of. Sven beckerts rich, fascinating book tells the story of how, in a remarkably brief period, european entrepreneurs and powerful statesmen rec. A global history sven beckert london, penguin books. But if there is any indication of what it might look like, it appears in sven beckerts remarkable and unsettling new book, empire of cotton. This book is an important addition to one of historys most exciting new fields. The writing is elegant, and the use of both primary and secondary sources is impressive and varied. This ambitious book is a mostly successful attempt to write a global history of the rise and spread of cotton. In his important new book, the harvard historian sven beckert makes the case that in the 19th century what most stirred the universe was cotton. Empire of cotton transcends this barrier and should be devoured eagerly, not only by scholars and students but also by the intelligent reading public. A historian weaves together the story of cotton with how the presen.
His new book, empire of cotton, promises to be a classic in both fields. Winner of the alfred and fay chandler book award the empire of cotton was, from the beginning, a fulcrum of constant global struggle between slaves and. Pulitzer prize finalist the epic story of the rise and fall of the empire of cotton, its centrality to the world economy, and its making and remaking of global capitalism. A new history of global capitalism, is a good agrarian, business, and labour history of a single commodity.
Nov 10, 2015 the epic story of the rise and fall of the empire of cotton, its centrality in the world economy, and its making and remaking of global capitalism. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that delivers new books every 1, 2, or 3 months new customers receive 15% off your. A global history, has just been published by alfred a. At the heart of harvard history professor sven beckerts awardwinning book, empire of cotton. Samuel moyn, harvard university thoughtful and impressive. Edward watson university of texas at austin crossposted from not even past sven beckert places cotton at the center of his colossal history of modern capitalism, arguing that the growth of the industry was the launching pad for the broader industrial revolution. Jan 09, 2015 empire of cotton proves sven beckert one of the new elite of genuinely global historians.
Overviews on international trends alternate with illuminating, memorable anecdotes. Empire of cotton, by sven beckert the new york times. One of the new york times 10 best books of the year winner of the bancroft prize pulitzer prize finalist the epic story of the rise and fall of the empire of cotton, its centrality to the world economy, and its making and remaking of global capitalism. The uk subtitle a new history of global capitalism better captures the books real subject. Beckert begins by explaining how cotton became the center of capital ist industrialization. The uk subtitle a new history of global capitalism better captures the book s real subject. This makes empire of cotton read a bit like two books combined. In empire of cotton, sven beckert, a professor of history at harvard, draws on archival material on every continent to provide a breathtakingly comprehensive, informative and provocative. Beckert, a leading global historian, offers a dark story of capitalism, born of worldwide empire and violence. Sven beckert, american history professor at harvard university, talks about his book, empire of cotton. Beckert painstakingly narrates how cotton became the first global commodity and how it shaped and reshaped lives of peasants, workers and merchants across the world. Beckerts american history, harvard univ the american bourgeoisie specialty is.
In this as in so many other ways, beckert makes clear how these forces ushered in the modern world. The epic story of the rise and fall of the empire of cotton, its. Nov 10, 2015 cotton is so ubiquitous as to be almost invisible, yet understanding its history is key to understanding the origins of modern capitalism. Dec 12, 2014 this post has been adapted from sven beckerts book, empire of cotton. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. A global history, by sven beckert 2015 published on november 29, 2017 by cigh exeter edward watson university of texas at austin crossposted from not even past sven beckert places cotton at the center of his colossal history of modern capitalism, arguing that the growth of. Cotton is so ubiquitous as to be almost invisible, yet understanding its history is key to understanding the origins of modern capitalism. Dec 30, 2014 as thomas piketty did in capital in the 21st century, his excellent recent study of wealth and inequality, sven beckert takes the long view in empire of cotton.
This book is the story of the rise and fall of the europeandominated empire of cotton. Empire of cotton empire of cotton audiobook, by sven beckert. Historian sven beckerts widely acclaimed book, empire of cotton. Empire of cotton proves sven beckert one of the new elite of genuinely global historians. The epic story of the rise and fall of the empire of cotton, its centrality in the world economy, and its making and remaking of global capitalism. Sven beckerts rich, fascination book tells how the story of how, in a remarkably brief period, european entrepreneurs and powerful statesmen recast the worlds most significant manufacturing industry, combining imperial expansion.
Beckerts american history, harvard univ the american bourgeoisie specialty is capitalism studies. Stream and download audiobooks to your computer, tablet or mobile phone. A global history from the worlds largest community of readers. A global history, about the origins of the global cotton trade and its impact on the. Sven beckert is the laird bell professor of american history at harvard university. Sven beckerts rich, fascinating book tells the story of how, in a remarkably brief period, european entrepreneurs and powerful statesmen recast the worlds most significant manufacturing industry combining imperial expansion and slave labor with.
Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read empire of cotton. Jan 01, 2010 empire of cotton npr coverage of empire of cotton. The thrust of the authors thesis is that cotton is central to any discussion of the rise of capitalism, the industrial revolution, and global markets from the 1700s, not peripheral to it like some people would like to believe. The epic story of the rise and fall of the empire of cotton, its centrality to the world economy, and its making and remaking of global capitalism. A reductionist summary posted on 20160616 by pseudoerasmus historian sven beckerts widely acclaimed book, empire of cotton. Sven beckert shows the number of other modern financial tools that the global cotton industry caused to be developed. The fabric of our lives abject human misery in the words of the author. In so doing, moreover, he has reached both scholarly. Spanning five thousand years of cottons history, with a particular focus on the seventeenth to twentieth centuries, empire of cotton is a tale of the spread of industrialization and the rise of modern global capitalism. The empire of cotton was, from the beginning, a fulcrum of constant global struggle between slaves and planters, merchants and statesmen, farmers and merchants, workers and factory owners.
Following cotton, as we shall see, will lead us to the origins of the. In the manner but decidedly not the style of a business school case, it tells the history of modern capitalism via. But because of the centrality of cotton, its story is also the story of the making and remaking of the global capitalism and with it of the modern world. From the beginning, the empire of cotton was a fulcrum of constant global struggle between slaves and planters, merchants and statesmen, farmers and merchants, workers and factory owners. I think many readers are disarmed by the books magisterial sweep across time and space, which obscures or subdues its underlying thesis.
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