William A. Sundstrom - Böcker

Volume 21 of "Research in Economic History" is a substantial contribution in several respects. Its heft reflects the continuing increase in quality submissions to this series, which invites (although it does not require) authors to take advantage of less stringent space limitations than is typically true in a journal article. The papers offer regional diversity: two papers with principal focus on England, one on Germany, one on Australia, and three on the United States. There are some commonalities in themes: we have three papers on 1931, three papers that have something to do with banks, two on urban economic history, and two on wage stickiness, albeit in different countries and addressing labor markets several centuries apart. What can be said of all of these inquiries, however, is that each involves the careful consideration of quantitative and qualitative data within a well articulated theoretical framework. And in almost every case, we have original analysis of primary source material. It's a pleasure in this volume to publish work of scholars at all stages of their careers. We have contributions ranging from those of recently minted Ph.Ds to those of distinguished senior scholars. Each of these articles is written with care, polish, and often passion. Academic disciplines flourish - and economic history is no exception - when scholars immerse themselves in their subjects and combine this with commitments to logic and evidence, detail, and clarity of exposition. The consequences are the fascinating papers and great scholarship evident here. We look forward to continuing to publish innovative, well written and carefully considered contributions to economic history, providing a niche which complements outlets such as the "Journal of Economic History", "Explorations in Economic History", and the "Economic History Review". Potential contributors are urged to contact the editor for information on submission requirements.

This volume includes seven papers in quantitative economic history. Four were accepted through our regular channels. These include Harald Edquist and Magnus Henrekson on "Technological Breakthroughs and Productivity Growth", Scott Redenius on "New National Bank Loan Rate Estimates, 1887-1975", Ebru Guven Solakoglu on the "Net Effect of Railroads on Stature in the Post Bellum Economy", and Pedro Lains on "Growth in a Protected Environment, Portugal, 1850-1950". Three papers are from a 2004 conference, Towards a Global History of Prices and Wages. These include Metin Cosgel on "Agricultural Productivity in the Early Ottoman Empire", Johan Soderberg on "Grain Prices in Cairo and Europe in the Middle Ages", and Jun Seong Ho and James Lewis on "Wages, Rents, and Interest Rates in Southern Korea, 1700 to 1900".

The volume includes six papers in quantitative economic history. Peter Mancall, Josh Rosenbloom, and Tom Weiss consider growth in colonial North America, while Gary Richardson examines the role of bank failures in propagating the Great Depression. John Komlos examines the heights of rich and poor youth in England in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century. Klas Fregert and Roger Gustafson provide a synoptic view of public finances in Sweden from the eighteenth through the twentieth century. Drew Keeling studies the economics of the steamship industry that facilitated migration between Europe and the United States between 1900 and 1914. Finally, Gregg Huff and Giovanni Caggiano examine the integration of labor markets in Southeast Asia in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. It includes original articles written by experts on the subjects and articles supported by quantitative data.

Combining theoretical work with careful historical description and analysis of new data sources, History Matters makes a strong case for a more historical approach to economics, both by argument and by example. Seventeen original essays, written by distinguished economists and economic historians, use economic theory and historical cases to explore how and why "history matters."The chapters, which range in subject matter from the economic theory of irreversible investment to the nineteenth-century decline in U.S. rural fertility to the English poor law reform, are unified by three themes. The first explores the significance, causes, and consequences of path dependence in the evolution of technology and institutions. The second relates to the ways in which economic and political behavior are profoundly shaped and constrained by the cultural and political context inherited from history at a particular point in time. The final theme demonstrates the importance of integrating economic theory into historical research in the gathering and interpretation of data.