Autorentext

Peter N. Stearns is University Professor and Provost Emeritus at George Mason University, USA.

Klappentext

Now in its sixth edition, this book explores the ways in which the industrial revolution reshaped world history, covering the international factors that helped launch the industrial revolution, its global spread and its impact from the end of the eighteenth century to the present day.

The single most important development in human history over the past three centuries, the industrial revolution continues to shape the contemporary world. Revised and brought into the present, The Industrial Revolution in World History extends the global analysis of the industrial revolution, looking beyond the West, extending to India, the Middle East and Africa and now including more on key Latin American economies and China, as well as environmental impacts in all these areas. A new chapter covers the heightened tensions, since 2008, about the economic aspects of globalization and the decline of manufacturing in the West, plus the implications of Artificial Intelligence. This edition also features an updated suggestions for further reading and boxed debate features that encourage the reader to consider diversity and different viewpoints in their own analysis.

Illustrating the contemporary relevance of the industrial revolution's history, this is essential reading for students of world history and economics, as well as for those seeking to know more about the global implications of what is arguably the defining socioeconomic event of modern times.

Inhalt

1. Introduction: defining the industrial revolution Part I: The first phase, 1780-1889: Western primacy, global contexts and global impact 2. Britain's revolution: new processes and economic transformation 3. New Causes: why did the industrial revolution happen, and why did it happen in eighteenth-century Britain 4. The industrial revolution in Western society 5. The social impact of the industrial revolution 6. Impact on the world economy Part 2: The second phase, 1880-1950: The new international cast 7. The industrial revolution changes stripes, 1880-1950 8. The industrial revolution in Russia 9. The industrial revolution in Japan 10. New developments in Western societies: a second revolution? Redefinitions of the industrial economy 11. The industrial revolution in international context Part 3: The Third Phase: industrial development from the 1950s to the 2020s 12. The industrial revolution in the contemporary world 13. The New Industrial Revolutions: transforming the international balance sheet 14. China's Breakthrough: another big industrial revolution 15. Advanced industrial economies: a new revolution? 16. Globalization, Progress and Exploitation: a new world economy 17. Global industry and the environment 18. Disruptions and New Directions in the Industrial World 19. Conclusion: Industrialization as an Ongoing Process 20. Suggestions for further reading