The Cambridge History of Capitalism. Vol. 1. The Rise of Capitalism: From Ancient Origins to 1848

Translated to Russian by A. Sholomitskaya; under scientific editing by A. Volodin. Moscow: Gaidar Institute Press, 2021. – 800 p.

ISBN 978-5-93255-606-1

The first volume of the Cambridge History of Capitalism contains a detailed account of the development of capitalism from its earliest stages. Starting from its distant origins in Ancient Babylon, the chapters of the volume trace its path one by one to the "promised land" of capitalism in America. Authors from different countries discuss the contribution of the civilizations of Greece, Rome, and Asia, as well as the empires of China, India, and Arabia, to the development of capitalism in a broad geographical framework and comparative perspective. They determine what features of modern capitalism were present in each time and place considered, as well as the reasons why the various predecessors of capitalism failed to survive. Looking at the final success of medieval Europe and the examples of the city-states of Northern Italy and the Netherlands, the authors talk about how British mercantilism led to European imitations and American successes, and ultimately how capitalism became global.