Robert C. Allen Books
Robert C. Allen is a Canadian economic historian and professor emeritus at the University of Oxford.
Known for: The British Industrial Revolution in Global Perspective
Books by Robert C. Allen
The British Industrial Revolution in Global Perspective
This book offers a comprehensive reinterpretation of the British Industrial Revolution, situating it within a global economic context. Robert C. Allen argues that Britain’s unique combination of high wages and cheap energy created the conditions for technological innovation and industrialization. The work compares Britain’s development with that of other regions, including China and continental Europe, to explain why industrialization first took root in Britain.
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The Pre-Industrial Economy
Before factories and steam engines reshaped the landscape, Britain was a nation of fields, markets, and workshops. In understanding how industrialization emerged, we must first grasp the economic texture of pre-industrial Britain. Agriculture dominated the economy, but it was already highly commerci...
From The British Industrial Revolution in Global Perspective
The High-Wage Economy
The central pillar of my argument lies in the concept of a high-wage economy. Britain in the eighteenth century was, compared to continental Europe and China, a place where wages were remarkably high. This fact alone altered the calculus of technological possibility. When labor is expensive, it is e...
From The British Industrial Revolution in Global Perspective
About Robert C. Allen
Robert C. Allen is a Canadian economic historian and professor emeritus at the University of Oxford. His research focuses on global economic history, industrialization, and comparative development, with particular attention to the economic history of Britain and Europe.
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Robert C. Allen is a Canadian economic historian and professor emeritus at the University of Oxford.
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