The first volume of The Cambridge History of Capitalism delves deep into the historical roots of capitalism to provide a definitive account of its evolution. Adopting a wide geographical coverage and comparative perspective, a range of expert scholars trace capitalism's development from distant origins in ancient Babylon to modern economic growth.

1. Introduction Larry Neal; 2. Babylonia in the first millennium BC - economic growth in times of empire Michael Jursa; 3. Capitalism and the ancient Greek economy Alain Bresson; 4. Re-constructing the Roman economy Willem M. Jongman; 5. Trans-Asian trade, or the Silk Road deconstructed (Antiquity, Middle Ages) Étienne de la Vaissière; 6. China before capitalism R. Bin Wong; 7. Capitalism in India in the very long run Tirthankar Roy; 8. Institutional change and economic development in the Middle East, 700-1800 ¿evket Pamuk; 9. Markets and coercion in medieval Europe Karl Gunnar Persson; 10. The Via Italiana to capitalism Luciano Pezzolo; 11. The Low Countries Oscar Gelderblom and Joost Jonker; 12. The formation of states and transitions to modern economies: England, Europe and Asia compared Patrick Karl O'Brien; 13. Pre-Columbian and Iberian America Richard Salvucci; 14. The emergence of African capitalism Morten Jerven; 15. Native Americans and exchange: strategies and interactions before 1800 Ann M. Carlos and Frank D. Lewis; 16. British and European industrialization C. Knick Harley; 17. America: capitalism's promised land Jeremy Atack; 18. The political economy of rising capitalism José Luís Cardoso; Index.