Between Empire and Globalization: An Economic History of Modern Spain(Palgrave Studies in Economic History)

This book provides a rigorously chronological journey through the economic history of modern Spain, always with an eye opened to what happens in the international economy and a focus on economic policy making and institutional change. It shows the central theme of the Spanish economy from the late 18th century to the early 21st century is the painful  transformation from being a major imperial power to a small nation and later a member of the European Community and a player in a globalized economy. It looks in detail at two major issues - economic growth and convergence or divergence to the Western European pattern- and the permanent tension between the two when assessing historical experience since the industrial revolution. This book proposes new visions of the economic past of Spain and  provides comparisons over time and space, which will be of interest to academics and students of economic history, European economic history and more specifically Spanish economichistory.

Table of Contents:
1. The Economic Growth of Spain: A Very Long-Term Perspective.- 2. From Empire to Peripheral Economy (1789–1840).- 3. The Impact of European Industrialization: The Double Failure of Agrarian and Industrial Strategies (1840–1890).- 4. Spain in the First Economic Globalization (1890–1914).- 5. The Spanish Economy During Great War and Interwar Years (1914–1936).- 6. The Isolation from the International Economy: Civil War and Autarky (1936–1951).- 7. Import Substitution Industrialization (1951–1959).- 8. Spain in the Golden Age: Reintegration into the International Economy (1960–1973).- 9. Economic Crisis and Political Transition (1973–1985).- 10. Integration into the European Economy (1986–1998).- 11. Spain in the Euro Area (1999–2017).- 12. Balance of Two Centuries: Growth Engines and Economic Policies.

About the Author :
Albert Carreras is Professor of Economics and Business, at Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain. Prior to this he held positions at Universitat de Barcelona and European University Institute, Italy. He has served as Dean of the UPF School of Economics and Business, and Secretary General of the Spanish Economic History Association. Xavier Tafunell is Associate Professor of Economics and Business at Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Spain, and a Barcelona GSE Affiliated Professor. He is the editor, with Albert Carreras, of a three volumes collection on Spanish Historical Statistics.

Review :
“I do, therefore, strongly encourage any reader interested in the performance of a middle-income country during the age of globalisation to read this book, as it provides not just a narrative about Spain’s economic history but useful insights that may be the seed of further research.” (Leandro Prados de la Escosura, EH Net, eh.net, November, 2021)