A Splendid Exchange tells the epic story of global commerce, from its prehistoric origins to the myriad crises confronting it today. It travels from the sugar rush that brought the British to Jamaica in the seventeenth century to our current debates over globalization, from the silk route between China and Rome in the second century to the rise and fall of the Portuguese monopoly in spices in the sixteenth. Throughout, William Bernstein examines how our age-old dependency on trade has contributed to our planet's agricultural bounty, stimulated intellectual and industrial progress and made us both prosperous and vulnerable.

As globalisation wobbles into world crisis, a vividly written, brilliantly original history of world trade, the first for a generation: 'A Splendid Exchange is a splendid book.' New York Times SHORTLISTED FOR THE FINANCIAL TIMES / GOLDMAN SACHS BUSINESS BOOK OF THE YEAR

About the Author
William Bernstein is an American financial theorist and historian whose books include The Birth of Plenty, which was published in 2004 to critical acclaim. He lives in America.

Reviews
"'A highly entertaining read. Bernstein's enthusiasm for his subject and impressive organisation of a wealth of material enable him to plot with pace and verve... man's trading history.' Hugh Carnegy, Financial Times 'Timely and readable... The strength of Mr Bernstein's book is the analytical rigour that overlays the rollicking history.' Economist 'Superb... The chronological range of Bernstein's book is staggering... Graceful and insightful history with a delicate display of scholarship that conceals a vast erudition.' Paul Kennedy, Foreign Affairs"



Book Information
ISBN 9781843548034
Author William L. Bernstein
Format Paperback
Page Count 488
Imprint Atlantic Books
Publisher Atlantic Books
Weight(grams) 480g
Dimensions(mm) 197mm * 130mm * 36mm