The Medieval Super-Companies
A Study of the Peruzzi Company of Florence
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Cambridge University Press
Published:30th Sep '94
Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back
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- Paperback£39.99(9780521894159)
A detailed 1994 description and history of one of the most famous companies of the early fourteenth century, the Peruzzi Company.
This 1994 analysis of the Peruzzi Company produces a radical reassessment of what made the medieval Florentine 'super-companies' so exceptional: commodity trading, especially in grain, which required heavy capital, sophisticated organisation, and an international network.This 1994 book presents a detailed description and history of one of the most famous companies of the early fourteenth century. This analysis of the Peruzzi Company produces a radical reassessment of what made the Florentine 'super-companies' so exceptional: commodity trading, especially in grain, which required heavy capital, sophisticated organisation, and an international network. But the book also exposes the limitations of their financial power, and explodes the myth that the collapse of the Peruzzi and its joint-venture partner, the Bardi, was caused by bad loans to Edward III made to finance his invasions of France.
"A fascinating and eminently readable history of a Florentine company of European scope...this book will stand as a major contribution and a godsend to history teachers seeking comprehensible readings for their students in medieval economic history."- T.C. Price Zimmerman, Choice
"This is an impressive first book, written by a mature scholar whose grasp of the intricacies of the medieval economy is certainly enhanced by his 'personal experience in the world of multibranch operations in international business.' His arguments are soldily based on the documentary record and written in a lucid style. Particularly impressive is his development of context, as well as his attention to the political, social, and cultural forces that influenced the evolution of the Peruzzi company. His concluding chapter is a masterful summation of his argument, which situates the super-companies in the larger history of the European economy." Gene Brucker, Journal of Interdisciplinary History
"Hunt successfully demonstrates his main points about the Peruzzi Company and is thorough and clear in his analysis of his published primary and secondary sources, leaving few possibilities unconsidered." Speculum
ISBN: 9780521461566
Dimensions: 229mm x 152mm x 21mm
Weight: 620g
304 pages