The Development of British Industry and Foreign Competition 1875-1914

In the three or four decades before the first world war British industry was subject to increasing foreign competition particularly from America and Germany. Frequent complainets have been made both by contemporaries and by later students of the peiod that British industrialists were slow to meet this challenge. This provides an admirable background for a series of case studies of the major British industries, each one of which has been written by a recognised authority. The chief aim has been to review the main developments in ten industries during the period 1875-1914, paying particular attention to the way in which they were affected by foreign competation, and the measures taken to combat it. As far as possible an attempt has been made in each case to ascertain how progressive British industrialists were, that is to what extent they were willing to innovate or alter their methods to meet the new conditions. Wherever it can be shown that a lack of enterprise was evident, the authors have tried to determine what were the major factors which governed the pace of innocation.

This is an important book since it covers a crucial period in Britain's economic history. No conscientious teacher or student of industrial history can afford to ignore it. Not only will it be of great interest to economists, economic historians, sociologists and the informed layman, but it should be made compulsory reading for businessmen and managers who are at present struggling anew with the problems of industrial innovation. They may both take comfort and derive useful lessons from these studies.

The contributors to the book are: A.J. Taylor, Professor of History, University of Leeds; P.L. Payne, Senior Lecturer in Economic History, University of Glasgow; R.E. Tyson, Lecturer in Economic History, University of Aberdeen; E.M. Sigsworth, Reader in Economic History, University of York; J.M. Blackman, Lecturer in Economic History, University of Hull; P. Head, Principal Planning Officer, Staffordshire County Council; S.B. Saul, Professor Economic History, University of Edinburgh; I.C.R. Byatt, Lecturer in Economics, London School of Economic and Political Science; H.W. Richardson, Senior Lecturer in Economics, University of Aberdeen; T.C. Barker, Professor of Economic History, University of Kent; Derek H. Aldcroft, Lecturer in Economic History, University of Glasgow, who edits the volume.