The theme of British economic decline is inescapable in contemporary debates about Britain's economic performance and sense of national identity. Understanding Decline is a serious contribution to an important argument, approached in a way that is accessible not only to the specialist academic market but to students of economics, history and politics. Barry Supple, to whom the volume is dedicated, when Professor of Economic History at Cambridge was concerned with various aspects of this historical problem. Indeed, his 1993 Presidential Address to the Economic History Society, 'Fear of failing', already a classic, is reprinted here as a highly effective keynote essay. Other essays pick up this theme in diverse but essentially unified ways, seeking to assess British economic performance in different ways over the past two centuries. They include case-studies through which the reality of decline can be explored, while differing perceptions of decline are examined in a number of essays dealing with ideas and policy issues.

A collection of essays which emphasises the centrality of Britain's decline over two centuries.
Reviews
"For those who study Britain and Europe, this book is a must read; for those who recognize the continued relevance of the idea of decline in other leading nations, it cannot be overlooked. Upper-division undergraduate and up." Choice
"...pushes into the undergrowth of long-running debates." David J. Jeremy, Business History Review



Book Information
ISBN 9780521563178
Author Peter Clarke
Format Hardback
Page Count 332
Imprint Cambridge University Press
Publisher Cambridge University Press
Weight(grams) 626g
Dimensions(mm) 236mm * 160mm * 24mm