The First Modern Economy: Success, Failure, and Perseverance of the Dutch Economy, 1500–1815

by Jan de Vries, Ad van der Woude

A comprehensive economic history of The Netherlands during its rise to European economic leadership, which argues that this was the first modern economy. This position is defended with detailed analyses of the major economic sectors and investigations into social structure and macro-economic performance. Dutch economic history is placed in its European and world context. Inter-continental and colonial trade are discussed fully. Special emphasis is placed on the environmental context and demographic developments.

Genres: History, Economics, Nonfiction

792 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 1997

About the author

Jan de Vries is Ehrman Professor Emeritus of History at the University of California, Berkeley.

Reviews

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best comprehensive economic histories of a single country I’ve ever read.

[Harm · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book, the authors try to convince the reader that the economy of the Dutch Republic was the first modern one of its kind. The absence of a clear definition of what exactly constitutes a modern economy, leaves me unconvinced. Fortunately, this mainly concerns the last chapter and the epilogue. For the main part of the book, De Vries and Van der Woude offer a well-structured and relatively accessible enormous source of information on the economy of the Dutch Republic, which I really enjoyed to read.

[Josh Taylor · Rating 2 out of 5]

Analysis very good, all but the last chapter is based on reasonably good statistical inference and empirical logic. However, the premise of the book to show that the Dutch Republic was: (1) a 'modern economy' in a pre-modern economy world, and (2) was the first to become a 'modern economy', are not very convincing. The tag-line is more worthy of note and more credible to the picture that is painted through the highly detailed analysis.