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How the Old World Ended: The Anglo-Dutch-American Revolution 1500-1800
A magisterial account of how the cultural and maritime relationships between the British, Dutch and American territories changed the existing world order – and made the Industrial Revolution possible
Between 1500 and 1800, the North Sea region overtook the Mediterranean as the most dynamic part of the world. At its core the Anglo-Dutch relationship intertwined close alliance and fierce antagonism to intense creative effect. But a precondition for the Industrial Revolution was also the establishment in British North America of a unique type of colony – for the settlement of people and culture, rather than the extraction of things.
England’s republican revolution of 1649–53 was a spectacular attempt to change social, political and moral life in the direction pioneered by the Dutch. In this wide-angled and arresting book Jonathan Scott argues that it was also a turning point in world history.
In the revolution’s wake, competition with the Dutch transformed the military-fiscal and naval resources of the state. One result was a navally protected Anglo-American trading monopoly. Within this context, more than a century later, the Industrial Revolution would be triggered by the alchemical power of American shopping
Between 1500 and 1800, the North Sea region overtook the Mediterranean as the most dynamic part of the world. At its core the Anglo-Dutch relationship intertwined close alliance and fierce antagonism to intense creative effect. But a precondition for the Industrial Revolution was also the establishment in British North America of a unique type of colony – for the settlement of people and culture, rather than the extraction of things.
England’s republican revolution of 1649–53 was a spectacular attempt to change social, political and moral life in the direction pioneered by the Dutch. In this wide-angled and arresting book Jonathan Scott argues that it was also a turning point in world history.
In the revolution’s wake, competition with the Dutch transformed the military-fiscal and naval resources of the state. One result was a navally protected Anglo-American trading monopoly. Within this context, more than a century later, the Industrial Revolution would be triggered by the alchemical power of American shopping
392 pages, Hardcover
Published January 7, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
January 5, 2020
The author’s focus is to explain the events leading up to the end of old world as well as the emergence of England as a world superpower. Sometimes, though, it seemed that the author’s purpose was to inject as many facts as possible, neglecting to always take the effort to further explain. Many times I felt like the history was incomplete, and I was forced to initiate my own research in order to understand what was happening. This was counterproductive, as the whole idea of reading the book was to enlighten me, not cause me to constantly be searching the Internet to fill in the blanks the author had left for me. While this method would be wonderful for those already well-versed in the history described, it didn’t work for me.
Other times, a quick statement was left to suffice, and sometimes wasn’t sufficient to convey exactly what happened (for instance, in a passage referring to the late 18th century, “By this time, the American Revolution had been provoked in part by a tax on tea.” I am sure the author knows there were many other items that prompted the American Revolution, and tea would have fit in with other claims of taxation without representation. The mixed writing voice caused some jarring moments. Sentences like “Initially Clarendon instructed him to cool his jets” could have easily been phrased to match the book’s historical period and still be pleasing to modern eyes and ears. Injecting everyday vernacular into the book felt more like an invasion.
Mr. Scott has compiled much data from research, unearthing some offbeat, interesting items sandwiched in from time to time (for instance, the British Parliament and public/private investment constructed a national turnpike beginning in 1696, with 52% of it authorized between 1750 and 1770). The history of Europe up until the 20th century is a subject I have not read much about, and so most of what I did learn from this book was new. As stated above, I wish this book would have been more accessible to those of us who have not had the opportunity to examine that period of time previous to this reading, but in fairness, I may not have been the target audience. Anyone who chooses to read this book will definitely learn a lot of facts not in your ordinary history books. Four stars.
My thanks to NetGalley and yale University Press for an advance electronic copy of this book.
Other times, a quick statement was left to suffice, and sometimes wasn’t sufficient to convey exactly what happened (for instance, in a passage referring to the late 18th century, “By this time, the American Revolution had been provoked in part by a tax on tea.” I am sure the author knows there were many other items that prompted the American Revolution, and tea would have fit in with other claims of taxation without representation. The mixed writing voice caused some jarring moments. Sentences like “Initially Clarendon instructed him to cool his jets” could have easily been phrased to match the book’s historical period and still be pleasing to modern eyes and ears. Injecting everyday vernacular into the book felt more like an invasion.
Mr. Scott has compiled much data from research, unearthing some offbeat, interesting items sandwiched in from time to time (for instance, the British Parliament and public/private investment constructed a national turnpike beginning in 1696, with 52% of it authorized between 1750 and 1770). The history of Europe up until the 20th century is a subject I have not read much about, and so most of what I did learn from this book was new. As stated above, I wish this book would have been more accessible to those of us who have not had the opportunity to examine that period of time previous to this reading, but in fairness, I may not have been the target audience. Anyone who chooses to read this book will definitely learn a lot of facts not in your ordinary history books. Four stars.
My thanks to NetGalley and yale University Press for an advance electronic copy of this book.
July 6, 2020
How the Old World Ended: The Anglo-Dutch-American Revolution 1500-1800
by
Jonathan Scott
2 Stars
How the Old World Ended is unquestionably one of the most disappointing books I have ever read. I’m a great lover of history and consider myself at least a passably knowledgeable student of the subject. So when I first saw this book I was immediately excited. The Industrial Revolution and the birth of our modern world are fascinating historical subjects. This book, however, was a huge letdown.
I can best describe it as a very poorly written college thesis. The author’s basic premise seems to be an interesting one, but the writing is so truly terrible that it just becomes completely lost. If I can take the liberty of quoting another Goodreads reviewer: “I have a hard time describing, even, what the language is like as it is truly terrible and nearly inaccessible. It almost feels like somebody's college thesis where they were trying to really impress the evaluation team and thought that using long and tortured sentences and archaic phrases and constructions would be the way to make himself stand out. Instead, it's just, frankly, a mess that's nearly impossible to read.” Not only is most of the book written in this convoluted style with “long and tortured sentences”; at other times the author digresses into casual slang. At one point he describes a government official’s reaction to an ambassador as telling him “to cool his jets.” At another point he states that “national history has come to enjoy a utility and status comparable to that of the shoe collection of Imelda Marcos.” The conflicting and ever-changing writing style does indeed make the book a mess.
Even if one can get past the writing, the information imparted by the author is spotty at best. Quoting again from another review: “Sometimes, though, it seemed that the author’s purpose was to inject as many facts as possible, neglecting to always take the effort to further explain. Many times I felt like the history was incomplete, and I was forced to initiate my own research in order to understand what was happening. This was counterproductive, as the whole idea of reading the book was to enlighten me, not cause me to constantly be searching the Internet to fill in the blanks the author had left for me.”
I would recommend avoiding this one.
by
Jonathan Scott
2 Stars
How the Old World Ended is unquestionably one of the most disappointing books I have ever read. I’m a great lover of history and consider myself at least a passably knowledgeable student of the subject. So when I first saw this book I was immediately excited. The Industrial Revolution and the birth of our modern world are fascinating historical subjects. This book, however, was a huge letdown.
I can best describe it as a very poorly written college thesis. The author’s basic premise seems to be an interesting one, but the writing is so truly terrible that it just becomes completely lost. If I can take the liberty of quoting another Goodreads reviewer: “I have a hard time describing, even, what the language is like as it is truly terrible and nearly inaccessible. It almost feels like somebody's college thesis where they were trying to really impress the evaluation team and thought that using long and tortured sentences and archaic phrases and constructions would be the way to make himself stand out. Instead, it's just, frankly, a mess that's nearly impossible to read.” Not only is most of the book written in this convoluted style with “long and tortured sentences”; at other times the author digresses into casual slang. At one point he describes a government official’s reaction to an ambassador as telling him “to cool his jets.” At another point he states that “national history has come to enjoy a utility and status comparable to that of the shoe collection of Imelda Marcos.” The conflicting and ever-changing writing style does indeed make the book a mess.
Even if one can get past the writing, the information imparted by the author is spotty at best. Quoting again from another review: “Sometimes, though, it seemed that the author’s purpose was to inject as many facts as possible, neglecting to always take the effort to further explain. Many times I felt like the history was incomplete, and I was forced to initiate my own research in order to understand what was happening. This was counterproductive, as the whole idea of reading the book was to enlighten me, not cause me to constantly be searching the Internet to fill in the blanks the author had left for me.”
I would recommend avoiding this one.
April 8, 2020
// A post-Brexit perspective on the invention of modernity that is strikingly old fashioned in its telling (technological invention, trade and political alliance = rise of the modern world).
It’s most interesting aspect, hidden in various nooks of the story, is that such an old-fashioned approach to history can nonetheless powerfully explore Anglo self-deception about the English’s deep and sustained (and historical) European identity.
It’s most interesting aspect, hidden in various nooks of the story, is that such an old-fashioned approach to history can nonetheless powerfully explore Anglo self-deception about the English’s deep and sustained (and historical) European identity.
December 3, 2019
I've never seen such a smooth way to write history that isn't boring, its informative as well as feels like you ain't reading reality but a made up story. Let's be honest who can read history in such an interesting way and not get bored.
I am a history student, and yes, I've read plenty of history books, like over 70 now, am at post-graduate level and I love history, but I also accept that history can be boring, not always, but to be honest, mostly.
While starting this book, I kind of wanted to know why the Old world ended and that's why I picked up the book, just for knowledge purpose with minimum or no expectation at all. So yes, the interesting writing was a sweet surprise to me. I just read a few pages, kind of tried to screen through it but actually found myself to be absorbed into the book and kept on picking it, even when I had my exams, and all I studied throughout the day was history, to go to bed with another history book was a huge deal to me. But boy, am I glad!
The book takes you through the British landscape, and the neighbouring countries, the ethnological and national diversity, etc. It introduces you to a replublican form of an empire and how many wars and battles were being fought.
It introduces you to archpelagic state formation which also is viewed in some Asian countries.
Since Britain is surrounded by water and the best strength it has is its naval power for which it is renowned throughout the world, the author walks you through its importance, advantages, etc. Further, there is the Industrial revolution, the reasons, why Britain was the first to experience it, how it brought socio-economical changes in the society, how it impacted the population within the country and abroad, in its colonies.
Further, there are maps that are provided, which aid in comprehending the context and geography in the reader's mind. I found that really interesting and helpful personally to actually see the areas things were occurring. And lastly, the book emphasises upon the cultural contexts of the revolution and reign.
A special thanks to the publisher for sending me an advanced copy of this book.
I am a history student, and yes, I've read plenty of history books, like over 70 now, am at post-graduate level and I love history, but I also accept that history can be boring, not always, but to be honest, mostly.
While starting this book, I kind of wanted to know why the Old world ended and that's why I picked up the book, just for knowledge purpose with minimum or no expectation at all. So yes, the interesting writing was a sweet surprise to me. I just read a few pages, kind of tried to screen through it but actually found myself to be absorbed into the book and kept on picking it, even when I had my exams, and all I studied throughout the day was history, to go to bed with another history book was a huge deal to me. But boy, am I glad!
The book takes you through the British landscape, and the neighbouring countries, the ethnological and national diversity, etc. It introduces you to a replublican form of an empire and how many wars and battles were being fought.
It introduces you to archpelagic state formation which also is viewed in some Asian countries.
Since Britain is surrounded by water and the best strength it has is its naval power for which it is renowned throughout the world, the author walks you through its importance, advantages, etc. Further, there is the Industrial revolution, the reasons, why Britain was the first to experience it, how it brought socio-economical changes in the society, how it impacted the population within the country and abroad, in its colonies.
Further, there are maps that are provided, which aid in comprehending the context and geography in the reader's mind. I found that really interesting and helpful personally to actually see the areas things were occurring. And lastly, the book emphasises upon the cultural contexts of the revolution and reign.
A special thanks to the publisher for sending me an advanced copy of this book.
November 3, 2019
A look at the relationship between England and the Netherlands during the time leading up to the industrial revolution and colonizing the Americas. Good sourcing of text and images to help the narrative. Great for those doing research on this period or the relationship of one country with others.
March 30, 2025
Somehow managed to make a topic I’m interested in sound boring
September 7, 2023
Interesting thesis, I wish the book would have been better. The thesis is that the increase in capital, caused by the Dutch use of cod from the North Sea, which created an agricultural revolution. This agricultural revolution was exported to England, and allowed for the Industrial revolution.
His focus is on the relationship between the English and the Dutch.
I got tired of the tendency to wander off and not address his main points.
Read 30%
His focus is on the relationship between the English and the Dutch.
I got tired of the tendency to wander off and not address his main points.
Read 30%
August 16, 2021
In this readable work, Jonathan Scott argues that the ending of the old world was a several-centuries-long process from 1500 to 1800, but one particular year was absolutely pivotal to it. Which of those years was it? If asked to guess (without having read the book), many would no doubt say 1776. But Scott argues that the key turning point, the absolute nucleus or kernel of the world we live in today, was 1649. At first glance this seems a strange choice, as it was obviously a pivotal year for England, but its centrality to the development of the world as we know it today doesn’t automatically spring to mind. However, Scott makes a compelling case that the year 1649, heralding as it did the English Republic of 1649-53, was that key year. For in his view, various actions by the Republican English regime - such as the introduction of government-backed naval protection of English shipping worldwide and adopting certain aspects of state financing borrowed from the Dutch United Provinces during those years - laid the foundations for Britain’s great imperial expansion and industrial revolution. They also helped Britain’s American colonies get to the state they were in by 1776 when independence was a viable option. That these English Republican innovations were continued after the republic became a protectorate under Oliver Cromwell, and then under the restoration of the monarchy in 1660 – was also vital to how today’s world came into being. That these policies were indeed vigorously pursued and expanded in the following decades by the later Stuart monarchs and their successors was also vital to how today’s world came into being. (The overthrow of James II in 1688 is also pretty important to this). It’s a well-argued thesis, backed up not only by many references from other historians but also a lot of primary sources. If this book has a fault it’s maybe that Scott doesn’t pay enough homage to the various financing innovations developed during the Italian Renaissance that found their way north and thus helped propel the end of the old world. But he is correct that once the process got going in northern Europe and the Atlantic, on the British-Dutch-American axis, the Mediterranean slid into relative unimportance. Overall this is an invigorating work that is not only a new interpretation of the years 1500-1800 but also a novel approach to the interregnum that followed the English Civil War.
March 24, 2025
This is a passable overview of events and historiographical thinking about the evolution of (effectively) capitalist thinking from the Dutch Revolt to the American Revolution, with strong emphasis on the 17th century.
This was a period and topic I studied at university (my old tutor Julian Hoppitt gets a namecheck, as does his colleague in the same department Jonathan Israel, whose chunky history of the Dutch Republic has been gathering dust on the shelf for over a quarter of a century now), so nothing much here was new to me.
To warn Americans interested in their part of this story, this is far more about Britain (mostly England) and the Netherlands than it is the future US.
To warn everyone else, due to this focus, there's much one could argue has been left out - especially around republican and Enlightenment thinking from France and Italy.
However, the core argument - that Anglo-Dutch interactions were core to the evolution of the thinking that led to the industrial revolution and capitalism, and their own connections to ideas about independence and autonomy - is convincing. Even if it does get a little lost in the details - and distracted by some unnecessary asides about Brexit in an attempt to make it all seem more contemporary. (Although given Trump's return to office and escalation of his obsession with trade wars and tariffs, a focus on how trade is beneficial or negative to participants may have proven more useful here...)
This was a period and topic I studied at university (my old tutor Julian Hoppitt gets a namecheck, as does his colleague in the same department Jonathan Israel, whose chunky history of the Dutch Republic has been gathering dust on the shelf for over a quarter of a century now), so nothing much here was new to me.
To warn Americans interested in their part of this story, this is far more about Britain (mostly England) and the Netherlands than it is the future US.
To warn everyone else, due to this focus, there's much one could argue has been left out - especially around republican and Enlightenment thinking from France and Italy.
However, the core argument - that Anglo-Dutch interactions were core to the evolution of the thinking that led to the industrial revolution and capitalism, and their own connections to ideas about independence and autonomy - is convincing. Even if it does get a little lost in the details - and distracted by some unnecessary asides about Brexit in an attempt to make it all seem more contemporary. (Although given Trump's return to office and escalation of his obsession with trade wars and tariffs, a focus on how trade is beneficial or negative to participants may have proven more useful here...)
October 3, 2021
مدتها در پی کتابی بودم که عالمانه و پژوهشگرانه و در عین حال با قلمی که خستگی نیاورد، جغرافیا و محیط مدرنیتهٔ نخستین را شرح دهد و وصف کند. پروفسور جاناتان اسکات امسال چنین کتابی را تدارک دید و آن را به قلم درخشان و نیز به دور از حشو و حاشیه آراست. هرچند مخاطب این مورخ بریتانیایی در بدو امر همهٔ هواداران برگزیت بوده و هست، متن او برای جهان و به خصوص ما ساکنان این نقطهٔ بحرانی آن آموزههایی بدیع دارد. مدرنیته در بدو امر سازوکاری پیچیده است که بخواهیم یا نه، رونق اقتصادی و شکوفایی اجتماعی و آزادی فردی میآورد. امروز پس از گذشت پانصد سال از نطفهبندی آن در هلند که مشخصا در تاریخ ۱۵۷۹ میلادی روی داد، ضعفها، خطاها و کژرویهای فراوان آن بر ما آشکار است، اما با وجود این، هنوز مدرنیته سازوکارهای ثابت خودش را دارد که از اتفاق در همهجای جهان نیز قابل اعمال است. انگلیس پیش از ظهور پادشاهی متحد بریتانیای کبیر چیز نوینی ابداع نکرد، راه هلند را پیش رفت و در ادامه فرانسه و دیگران نیز همان سازوکار ابداعی را نسخهبرداشتند! جهان امروز بر سر همین انتخاب گرفتار است و حتی خود انگلیسیهای هوادار برگزیت نیز همینطور! یا نسخهبرداری از سازوکار هستهٔ مدرنیته، یا فروغلتیدن در محلیگراییها، بنیادگراییها و قبیلهبازیهای عبث و اجدادی! اگر میخواهیم واقعا تاریخ بخوانیم و نه رویاسازیهای کلیبافانه و علمی-تخیلی و سرشار از کمبود و اشتباه امثال یووال نوح هراری، این کتاب انتخابی شایسته است!
April 28, 2020
Prose Most Turgid with Tangents
I am a great lover of history, and so I enjoy reading books about history. I was intrigued when I saw this one at a book review site because I knew how much of an impact the Anglo-Dutch relationship had on colonial history and history during the late Middle Ages and the Age of Enlightenment. It could be a gripping, fascinating story. However, that did not happen with this book. I have a hard time describing, even, what the language is like as it is truly terrible and nearly inaccessible. It almost feels like somebody's college thesis where they were trying to really impress the evaluation team and thought that using long and tortured sentences and archaic phrases and constructions would be the way to make himself stand out. Instead, it's just, frankly, a mess that's nearly impossible to read. There doesn’t seem to be many takeaways. Plus, he goes off on some pretty wild tangents that take us far away from the core of what this book should be about. I cannot recommend this book.
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
I am a great lover of history, and so I enjoy reading books about history. I was intrigued when I saw this one at a book review site because I knew how much of an impact the Anglo-Dutch relationship had on colonial history and history during the late Middle Ages and the Age of Enlightenment. It could be a gripping, fascinating story. However, that did not happen with this book. I have a hard time describing, even, what the language is like as it is truly terrible and nearly inaccessible. It almost feels like somebody's college thesis where they were trying to really impress the evaluation team and thought that using long and tortured sentences and archaic phrases and constructions would be the way to make himself stand out. Instead, it's just, frankly, a mess that's nearly impossible to read. There doesn’t seem to be many takeaways. Plus, he goes off on some pretty wild tangents that take us far away from the core of what this book should be about. I cannot recommend this book.
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
May 20, 2025
Loved the idea (especially as a Dutchman myself) and found myself wanting more from the subject after reading the book; but the author does not deliver a captivating unifying theory or vision of the interrelations between these (in status nascendi!) 'nations'; a lot of ground is covered and it was nice to be able to tie some loose historical ends in context, in particular the Americans taking inspiration from 'our' Act of Abjuration (1581)' in their own struggle wresting their new land from the English; will be on the lookout for future works on this. On the subject be sure to check out the works by Russell Shorto; The Island at the Centre of the World and his more recent Taking Manhattan: The Extraordinary Events That Created New York and Shaped America.
May 15, 2025
Jonathan Scott’s How the Old World Ended is a sweeping, ambitious history that reframes the origins of the modern world through the intertwined destinies of England, the Netherlands, and North America between 1500 and 1800. Scott’s central argument is that the Industrial Revolution-and the rise of Britain as a global superpower-cannot be understood in isolation, but must be seen as the product of a dynamic Anglo-Dutch-American axis. Scott traces how the economic, political, and religious innovations of the Dutch Republic inspired English republicanism, culminating in the English Republic, which he posits as a critical turning point in world history. He contends that the English learned from the Dutch model, especially in matters of commerce, naval power, and religious tolerance, and that these influences set the stage for England’s later dominance. The work is less focused on archival discoveries and more on synthesizing a vast range of scholarship into a provocative, big-picture argument.
January 31, 2024
What an insightful and important book. But it is also a frustrating one. That Scott is not a graceful writer can be forgiven. History, after all, needs more than just the products of great authors. What is wrong, mostly, is organizational. It needs a great editor. Still, what Scott has to say is deeply meaningful and sure to help spur more work on the topic that will build on his achievement. I learned a great deal from Scott about a crucial period that transformed our world. He didn't bring it to life, as a classic work must, but he highlights ideas and themes that illuminate the past and perhaps help us understand the future, too.
August 4, 2020
Dreadful. A fever dream of historical and cultural references, and not in a nice way. I couldn't get past the first chapter, though I did wade through multiple preambles just to get there. The author's writing is so tortured and disorganized it was impossible to keep track of any points he attempted to make. If, indeed, he had any. I'm very disappointed. It's a fascinating subject, and like the author, I'm fond of nautical history and themes so thought his interest might lead to some new insights. Alas - it was more of a stroll through his completely disorganized mind. Give it a miss.
January 7, 2021
The author uses the phrase "in this study" many times within the book. He is not kidding. This is a study, not a breezy flyover survey of its subject matter. This is why the book is so good. Reading the book is like attending a college class wherein the teacher knows exactly how to present the material. There is a lot of detail and also good recaps within the text as the reader makes progress. The author touches on Brexit in the last few pages. In my opinion, if all British citizens had read this book before their Brexit vote there would be no Brexit.
Read
May 5, 2022This is an utterly fascinating subject, but a dismal book, at least for the casual reader. Turgid prose, frequent reference to other historians of whose work I am sadly ignorant and have to look up. (I was lured into acquiring it by a favorable Wall Street Journal review.) Rather surprising to me, only three very brief mentions of slavery in a three hundred page book on how the English and the Dutch propelled themselves into the future. I would love to know more about this subject, but not enough to finish this book, after three false starts.
September 10, 2025
Big dense work of political and economic history about the often forgotten Dutch influence in making the UK, and later the US, into the first industrial superpowers - especially with their oft-overlooked advances in liberal politics, economics, and maritime innovation.
Not gonna lie though, it's incredibly boring for the most part (17th and 18th century is often difficult to make exciting for some reason), but it earns a 4 star because of a solid opening and concluding chapters in particular.
Not gonna lie though, it's incredibly boring for the most part (17th and 18th century is often difficult to make exciting for some reason), but it earns a 4 star because of a solid opening and concluding chapters in particular.
November 27, 2025
Not by any means an easy read, this is aimed at a more academic audience rather than a general one. That said, it is remarkably well-researched and clearly states the author's conclusion that the specifics of geography, environment, and culture, both political and religious, combined to enable the British-Dutch-American colonies to increase their agricultural, demographic, and commercial outputs to the point where the Industrial Revolution inevitably occurred there. Excellent bibliography.
January 5, 2021
This was the most disappointing Academic book I've read in a while.
I would be less angry if it wasn't 300 pages long- but a professor who's been in the business for 30+ years shouldn't be writing 300 pages of "I'm so clever"
It's hard to write a more substantial review because there is so little substance to this book.
I would be less angry if it wasn't 300 pages long- but a professor who's been in the business for 30+ years shouldn't be writing 300 pages of "I'm so clever"
It's hard to write a more substantial review because there is so little substance to this book.
January 16, 2021
A splendid read - some here have criticized the writing style but I found it very appealing and fluid. I got used to and eventually appreciated the endless quotations which hammered home what the author was trying to get across and helped transport me to the time period.
June 24, 2021
This is a very good academic study of the Anglo-Dutch world. It is a bit dense and maybe not for the general reader but it does a very good job addressing the start of the industrial era comprehensively and sheds light on the process.
December 7, 2019
How the Old World Ended is a fascinating historical book. Jonathan Scott has done his research and the book is well written. I enjoyed reading this book.
January 1, 2020
This is my first time I request for history book on netgalley and I quite actually like this book . Author did a good job in research thoroughly.
March 14, 2022
A well argued book that attempts to connect the English industrial revolution with Dutch social and political influences.
Certainly not a new viewpoint, but one that I found to ring true, as at a least a ‘necessary but not sufficient’ condition for the industrial revolution.
Certainly not a new viewpoint, but one that I found to ring true, as at a least a ‘necessary but not sufficient’ condition for the industrial revolution.
December 21, 2024
An interesting time period but a poorly structured book that is difficult to follow, especially as an audiobook.
August 17, 2022
This is a frustrating book. Scott is wrestling with important and underrated questions, but the answers and evidence he offers can be underwhelming. To pick one characteristic example, the evidence offered for the claim that the Navigation Acts were a necessary cause of the industrial revolution basically amounts to statements by the acts’ supporters that it would be good for development.
There are some interesting discussions about the connections between Dutch and British development, on urbanization, state development, migrations, and cultural and technological diffusion. But the arguments are undeveloped
There are some interesting discussions about the connections between Dutch and British development, on urbanization, state development, migrations, and cultural and technological diffusion. But the arguments are undeveloped
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews