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Trade World: The Ties That Bound Our Past and Could Unravel Our Future – The Instant Sunday Times Bestseller
The story of trade is the story of humanity. From the copper in Mesopotamian ploughs to the silicon atoms within the chip inside your smartphone, intricate global trading networks have evolved over millennia to fulfil the distinctly human desire to buy and sell.
Today, the volume of trade bestriding the planet is unprecedented. Yet, as fractures in the global order emerge – from an era of globalisation and untrammelled flows of goods and money to a new world of restrictions, intervention and, possibly, war – understanding this fundamental shift to the dominant economic consensus is more important than ever.
In TRADE WORLD, bestselling, award-winning author Ed Conway tells this extraordinary story through these three commonplace products – bread, cloth and cars. With a compelling blend of economic history and first-hand access to key figures and institutions, he takes us from policy treaties to ground level to show us the people who make, ship and sometimes smuggle the products we buy on a daily basis.
Discover the hidden, shifting trade world behind everything you see around you.
Today, the volume of trade bestriding the planet is unprecedented. Yet, as fractures in the global order emerge – from an era of globalisation and untrammelled flows of goods and money to a new world of restrictions, intervention and, possibly, war – understanding this fundamental shift to the dominant economic consensus is more important than ever.
In TRADE WORLD, bestselling, award-winning author Ed Conway tells this extraordinary story through these three commonplace products – bread, cloth and cars. With a compelling blend of economic history and first-hand access to key figures and institutions, he takes us from policy treaties to ground level to show us the people who make, ship and sometimes smuggle the products we buy on a daily basis.
Discover the hidden, shifting trade world behind everything you see around you.
493 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 3, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 28, 2026
I listened to the audiobook version of this latest book by Ed Conway, who is a reasonably well-known TV presenter in the UK. I had been impressed with his previous book Material World.
This was fascinating and hugely educational for me. Rather than attempt the impossible, Conway focuses on 3 types of products to illustrate the world of trade – bread, clothes and cars. The section on clothes is itself sub-divided to look at wool, cotton, and synthetic fabrics. You’ll be amazed at the level of international interconnectedness in making these products, at the number of suppliers and at the number of tiers that exist for the manufacture of products, so much so that in many cases the company marketing the product doesn’t even know who all their suppliers are. There was also a really interesting section on the processes for getting around the sanctions on Russia, describing how products are exported to countries like Georgia, Azerbaijan, and the Central Asian republics before being re-exported to Russia. As Conway observes, “trade always finds a way.”
One thing I like about this author is that he doesn’t preach too much. The description of the “sanctions-busting” is a good example. Another author might have gone off on a rant about immoral it is. Conway tells you what’s going on, and leaves the reader to draw their own conclusions. Another example was on the labelling of machine-washable wool products. These are coated with a polymer to prevent the wool fibres from shrinking, but are allowed to be marketed as “pure wool” as long at the coating is less than 2% of the product in weight. Again, the reader gets the facts and can make their own mind up.
The book is international in scope, but Conway is a British author and the book is probably told more from a British perspective than American readers will be used to.
Despite his comment that “trade always finds a way” I had the impression that Conway was more sceptical about free trade than I had anticipated. He seems to lean towards the argument that countries should protect their strategic industries, for reasons of national security, and that it is dangerous to rely too much on foreign imports. As it happens, on the day I am writing this (28/09/2026) people in the UK are fretting about the possibility that President Donald Trump might ban exports of diesel fuel from the US, something that would have a catastrophic impact on the UK economy. It’s a strong argument in favour of what Conway says. Then again, restricting free trade invariably means higher prices for consumers in the long-run. There’s no perfect solution to the issue, and Conway acknowledges that the pattern of trade in the modern world has been driven by inexorable pressure from consumers for lower-priced goods.
A great read though.
This was fascinating and hugely educational for me. Rather than attempt the impossible, Conway focuses on 3 types of products to illustrate the world of trade – bread, clothes and cars. The section on clothes is itself sub-divided to look at wool, cotton, and synthetic fabrics. You’ll be amazed at the level of international interconnectedness in making these products, at the number of suppliers and at the number of tiers that exist for the manufacture of products, so much so that in many cases the company marketing the product doesn’t even know who all their suppliers are. There was also a really interesting section on the processes for getting around the sanctions on Russia, describing how products are exported to countries like Georgia, Azerbaijan, and the Central Asian republics before being re-exported to Russia. As Conway observes, “trade always finds a way.”
One thing I like about this author is that he doesn’t preach too much. The description of the “sanctions-busting” is a good example. Another author might have gone off on a rant about immoral it is. Conway tells you what’s going on, and leaves the reader to draw their own conclusions. Another example was on the labelling of machine-washable wool products. These are coated with a polymer to prevent the wool fibres from shrinking, but are allowed to be marketed as “pure wool” as long at the coating is less than 2% of the product in weight. Again, the reader gets the facts and can make their own mind up.
The book is international in scope, but Conway is a British author and the book is probably told more from a British perspective than American readers will be used to.
Despite his comment that “trade always finds a way” I had the impression that Conway was more sceptical about free trade than I had anticipated. He seems to lean towards the argument that countries should protect their strategic industries, for reasons of national security, and that it is dangerous to rely too much on foreign imports. As it happens, on the day I am writing this (28/09/2026) people in the UK are fretting about the possibility that President Donald Trump might ban exports of diesel fuel from the US, something that would have a catastrophic impact on the UK economy. It’s a strong argument in favour of what Conway says. Then again, restricting free trade invariably means higher prices for consumers in the long-run. There’s no perfect solution to the issue, and Conway acknowledges that the pattern of trade in the modern world has been driven by inexorable pressure from consumers for lower-priced goods.
A great read though.
September 10, 2026
fantastic sequel to material world
I thoroughly enjoyed Ed Conways last book - material world. In that one, we learned about the 6 materials that have the biggest impact on all of our lives
In this one, he digs into supply chain and explains how intrinsically linked and brittle our supply chains are. You’ll come to learn about the importance of bread, how a town just outside the M25 drove innovation in bread making, and why Chinese cars will most likely do to the car industry what Japan did to it (and the motorcycle industry) back in the 70’s
Just like his first book, I devoured it in about 3 days whilst on holiday. A fantastic read
I thoroughly enjoyed Ed Conways last book - material world. In that one, we learned about the 6 materials that have the biggest impact on all of our lives
In this one, he digs into supply chain and explains how intrinsically linked and brittle our supply chains are. You’ll come to learn about the importance of bread, how a town just outside the M25 drove innovation in bread making, and why Chinese cars will most likely do to the car industry what Japan did to it (and the motorcycle industry) back in the 70’s
Just like his first book, I devoured it in about 3 days whilst on holiday. A fantastic read
September 13, 2026
Revelatory!
Another revelatory masterpiece from Ed Conway. Every politician should read this - especially Donald Trump but I understand he doesn’t read books! Conway writes in such an engaging and entertaining style - it’s as gripping as many a page-turner novel.
Another revelatory masterpiece from Ed Conway. Every politician should read this - especially Donald Trump but I understand he doesn’t read books! Conway writes in such an engaging and entertaining style - it’s as gripping as many a page-turner novel.
September 17, 2026
Great book. Thought the part about bread went on a bit longer than it maybe needed to, but thought the rest of the book was fascinating like everything Ed talks about.
When are we starting the Ed Conway fan club?🤣
When are we starting the Ed Conway fan club?🤣
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews