Why read How the West Came to Rule?

Book cover of How the West Came to Rule: The Geopolitical Origins of Capitalism

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*Winner of International Studies Association (ISA)'s International Political Sociology Best Book Prize for 2017*

*Winner of British International Studies Association (BISA)'s International Political Economy Working Group Book Prize of 2016*

*Shortlisted for the ISA Book Prize*

Mainstream historical accounts of the development of capitalism describe a process which is fundamentally…

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Why read it?

1 author picked How the West Came to Rule as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Eric Sheppard

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I found this book so interesting because it documents how European prosperity was also shaped by deep historical ties with Asia. Digging through a huge trove of historical archives, the authors document how Genghis Khan and the Mongol Empire brought capitalist practices to Europe in the 13th century.

It’s not an easy read, but I found that careful study pays off because it offers such an original perspective on Europe’s success. I liked how their evidence buttresses Blaut’s more speculative critique of Eurocentrism, also extending it by showing that Asian initiative shaped European success—it was not just colonialism and slavery.

From Eric's list on understanding how Europe (and the USA) became prosperous.