SVEN BECKERT is the Laird Bell Professor of American History at Harvard University. Holding a PhD from Columbia University, he has written widely on the economic, social, and political history of capitalism. He has been the recipient of numerous awards and fellowships, including from Harvard Business School, the Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers at the New York Public Library, and the Charles Warren Center for Studies in American History. He was also a fellow of the American Council of Learned Societies and the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. He lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Winner of the Alfred and Fay Chandler Book Award
“Masterly.... Deeply researched and eminently readable, Empire of
Cotton gives new insight into the relentless expansion of global
capitalism. With graceful prose and a clear and compelling
argument, Beckert not only charts the expansion of cotton
capitalism ... he addresses the conditions of enslaved workers in
the fields and wage workers in the factories. An astonishing
achievement.”—Thomas Bender, New York Times
“Important.... a major work of scholarship that will not be soon
surpassed as the definitive account of the product that was, as
Beckert puts it, the Industrial Revolution’s ‘launching
pad.’” —Adam Hochschild, New York Times Book Review
“Breathtakingly comprehensive, informative and
provocative.” —Glenn C. Altschuler, Tulsa World
“Persuasive ... brilliant ... Beckert’s detailed narrative never
scants the rich complexity of the cotton trade’s impact on many
different societies.” —Wendy Smith, Boston Globe
“Empire of Cotton proves Sven Beckert one of the new elite of
genuinely global historians. Too little present-day academic
history is written for the general public. ‘Empire of Cotton’
transcends this barrier and should be devoured eagerly, not only by
scholars and students but also by the intelligent reading public.
The book is rich and diverse in the treatment of its subject. The
writing is elegant, and the use of both primary and secondary
sources is impressive and varied. Overviews on international trends
alternate with illuminating, memorable anecdotes.... Beckert’s book
made me wish for a sequel.” —Daniel Walker Howe, The
Washington Post
“Momentous and brilliant ... Empire of Cotton is among the best
nonfiction books of this year.” —Karen R. Long, Newsday
“Compelling ... Beckert demonstrates persuasively how the ravenous
cotton textile trade in Europe was instrumental in the emergence of
capitalism and draws a direct line from the practices that
nourished this empire to similar elements in the production of
goods for today’s massive international retailers. Those who long
to know more about how and why slavery took hold in Europe, Africa
and the Americas will find this book to be immensely
enlightening. Better still, those who live out the troubled
legacy of the exploitation and enslavement of workers in the
service of the cotton empire will find in it added inspiration for
their continuing efforts to realize a just and more equitable
society.” —Ruth Simmons, President Emeritus of Brown
University
“Intellectually ambitious ... a masterpiece of the historian’s
craft.” —Timothy Shenk, The Nation
“A highly detailed, provocative work.” —Booklist
“Hefty, informative, and engaging ... Beckert’s narrative skills
keep the story of capitalism fresh and interesting for all
readers.” —Publishers Weekly
“[Beckert’s] close-up study of the cotton economy is a valuable
model for the study of capitalism generally, an economic system in
which slavery and colonialism were not outliers but instead
integral to the whole ... a valuable contribution.” —Kirkus
Reviews
“Fascinating and profound.... Global history as it should be
written.” —Eric Foner
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