'The European Miracle is a powerfully argued explanation of why the western periphery of Eurasia advanced, while the other three empires remained static, or regressed. Professor Jones's approach is sophisticated and complex. He suggests that only a concatenation of factors can explain Europe's increasing advantage.' The Economist

• Part I. Eurasia: 1. Environmental and social conjectures; 2. Disasters and capital accumulation; Part II. Europe: 3. Technological drift; 4. The discoveries and ghost acreage; 5. The market economy; 6. The states system; 7. Nation-states; Part III. The World: 8. Beyond Europe; Part IV. Asia: 9. Islam and the Ottoman Empire; 10. India and the Mughal Empire; 11. China and the Ming and Manchu Empires; Part V. Eurasia: 12. Summary and comparison; Annotated bibliographical guide; Bibliography and supplementary guide; Index.