$25.84 with 22 percent savings

List Price: $32.99

FREE International Returns

No Import Fees Deposit & $16.14 Shipping to Finland Details

Delivery Wednesday, July 10

Or fastest delivery Friday, June 28. Order within 22 hrs 52 mins

Deliver to Finland

In Stock

$$25.84 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details

Ships from

Amazon.com

Ships from

Amazon.com

Sold by

Amazon.com

Sold by

Amazon.com

Returns

Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt

Returnable	Yes
Resolutions	Eligible for refund or replacement
Return Window	30 days from delivery
Refund Timelines	Typically, an advance refund will be issued within 24 hours of a drop-off or pick-up. For returns that require physical verification, refund issuance may take up to 30 days after drop-off or pick up. Where an advance refund is issued, we will re-charge your payment method if we do not receive the correct item in original condition. See details here.
Late fee	A late fee of 20% of the item price will apply if you complete the drop off or pick up after the ‘Return By Date’.
Restocking fee	A restocking fee may apply if the item is not returned in original condition and original packaging, or is damaged or missing parts for reasons not due to Amazon or seller error. See details here.

Returns

Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt

Returnable	Yes
Resolutions	Eligible for refund or replacement
Return Window	30 days from delivery
Refund Timelines	Typically, an advance refund will be issued within 24 hours of a drop-off or pick-up. For returns that require physical verification, refund issuance may take up to 30 days after drop-off or pick up. Where an advance refund is issued, we will re-charge your payment method if we do not receive the correct item in original condition. See details here.
Late fee	A late fee of 20% of the item price will apply if you complete the drop off or pick up after the ‘Return By Date’.
Restocking fee	A restocking fee may apply if the item is not returned in original condition and original packaging, or is damaged or missing parts for reasons not due to Amazon or seller error. See details here.

Return instructions

Item must be in original condition and packaging along with tag, accessories, manuals, and inserts. Unlock any electronic device, delete your account and remove all personal information.

Read full return policy

Payment

Secure transaction

Payment

Secure transaction

We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more

Details

Add a gift receipt for easy returns

$13.67

Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less See less

$8.52 delivery July 11 - August 1. Details

Deliver to Finland

Only 1 left in stock - order soon.

$$25.84 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details

Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.

Enhancements you chose aren't available for this seller. Details

${cardName} not available for the seller you chose

${cardName} unavailable for quantities greater than ${maxQuantity}.

Ships from and sold by ThriftBooks-Atlanta.

Other sellers on Amazon

New & Used (17) from $13.67

Follow the author

E. A. Wrigley

Follow

Energy and the English Industrial Revolution

by E. A. Wrigley (Author)

4.1 15 ratings

See all formats and editions

Sorry, there was a problem loading this page. Try again.

{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$25.84","priceAmount":25.84,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"25","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"84","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"KKCQSCOrkUrPMjBo3FBJKY3zPe1VZO8By8RiIxC97sAzdiyapF36drZavsYlB27%2BhPkSyx9rPaCdsMbPIOls5dkWES1I6bWUxEcpF%2BTv5cB2Yr%2BfdiZ%2Bo7YoNCxV2SysXNg72MW8j0o%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$13.67","priceAmount":13.67,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"13","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"67","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"KKCQSCOrkUrPMjBo3FBJKY3zPe1VZO8Bnzv9X%2FDmzt1OadKvcAEdQSGu5CvHkpdjdY4EKG7sYZrNiRXfJBiCHD4qaUdVuJWsLcuo3ocDHH5cvP4g7ANP%2Fd3Ny57zzUl7a%2FPACSsj0yDmdpXF28DhF3akD5TZn9V5HVikZ0Ftli4%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

The industrial revolution transformed the productive power of societies. It did so by vastly increasing the individual productivity, thus delivering whole populations from poverty. In this new account by one of the world's acknowledged authorities the central issue is not simply how the revolution began but still more why it did not quickly end. The answer lay in the use of a new source of energy. Pre-industrial societies had access only to very limited energy supplies. As long as mechanical energy came principally from human or animal muscle and heat energy from wood, the maximum attainable level of productivity was bound to be low. Exploitation of a new source of energy in the form of coal provided an escape route from the constraints of an organic economy but also brought novel dangers. Since this happened first in England, its experience has a special fascination, though other countries rapidly followed suit.

ISBN-10

0521131855
ISBN-13

978-0521131858
Publisher

Cambridge University Press
Publication date

September 27, 2010
Language

English
Dimensions

5.98 x 0.65 x 9.02 inches
Print length

288 pages
See all details

Frequently bought together

Energy and the English Industrial Revolution

$25.84

In Stock

Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.

+

Electrifying America: Social Meanings of a New Technology, 1880-1940

$45.49

In Stock

Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.

+

Bringing Down the Mountains: The Impact of Mountaintop Removal on Southern West Virginia Communities

$28.99

Only 1 left in stock (more on the way).

Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.

Total price:

To see our price, add these items to your cart.

Try again!

Details

Added to Cart

Some of these items ship sooner than the others.

Show details Hide details

Choose items to buy together.

$28.99
Shirley Stewart Burns
21
Paperback
$16.09 shipping
Only 1 left in stock (more on the way).
$45.49
List: $60.00
David E. E. Nye
16
Paperback
$17.01 shipping
$19.92
List: $29.00
Robert Bryce
311
Hardcover
Get it as soon as Thursday, Jul 11
$16.75 shipping
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
$36.99
Astrid Kander
4
Paperback
$15.88 shipping
$37.80
List: $45.00
Charles S. Maier
9
Hardcover
$18.12 shipping
$24.95
Dr Lars Schernikau
140
Paperback
$15.47 shipping

Editorial Reviews

Review

“This book has changed the way I see the world. Smart, engaging and beautifully-written, Wrigley’s study of the Industrial Revolution casts a fascinating light on current energy questions. If you want to understand how our dependency on fossil fuels began and what we might do to escape it, you must read this book.” -George Monbiot

"Here, Tony Wrigley develops the central themes that have characterized his distinctive contribution to the economic transformation of England. There is no better account of the role that the energy revolution played in the escape from the constraints of the Malthusian pre-industrial economy". -Nicholas Crafts, University of Warwick.

“Tony Wrigley is one of the true Grand Men of the economic history profession. In this book he analyzes in depth the role of energy supplies in the emergence of modern economic growth and thus strikes a fascinating and most timely link between economic history and contemporary issues of energy and environment. Energy economics are of central importance to any study of economic change, especially when supported by the breadth of the learning underlying this book.” -Joel Mokyr, Northwestern University

"Whether wind or solar power can ever provide the energy needed in an increasingly energy-conscious and insecure world is debatable but this excellent book provides a historical perspective that is either ignored or given little credence in contemporary debates of considerable subtlety and relevance. This is a book not to be ignored." -The Historical Association

"an accessible and comprehensive guide to his interpretation of the industrial revolution. It offers at once a clear and compelling argument for the centrality of energy in the historical rise of industrial societies and an opportunity to meditate on the future sustainability of an economic order founded on fossil fuels." -Jan de Vries, Economic History Review

"an often brilliant and always perceptive presentation of some of the key conclusions from every decade of his half-century of academic research to date." - Michael Anderson, Population Studies

Book Description

This book explains how new sources of energy increased productivity, thereby transforming industry and changing England permanently and fundamentally.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Cambridge University Press (September 27, 2010)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0521131855
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0521131858
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.04 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.98 x 0.65 x 9.02 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,087,032 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #16 in Coal Energy
- #2,354 in Economic History (Books)
- #37,624 in Unknown

Customer Reviews:
4.1 15 ratings

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Videos

Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video!

Upload your video

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

E. A. Wrigley

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5

15 global ratings

3 star

0%

Zero tolerance for fake reviews

Sort reviews by

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Brian

a++

Reviewed in the United States on December 12, 2022

a++

A must read for Economists, Environmentalists and Climate Scientists

Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2014

Verified Purchase

This is an incredibly eloquent and well organized view of the demographic changes wrought by the Industrial Revolution in the United Kingdom. In many ways it is the "missing link" that economists - who hand-wave shamelessly about the demographic transition - need to read. As do environmental and climate scientists who are concerned about energy and climate change.

A masterly piece of scholarship that needs to be read by a broader scientific audience.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Rachael

Reviewed in the United States on November 2, 2016

Verified Purchase

Connects well to content and information about the rise of the industrial revolution (or perhaps the idea of an evolution taking place over time) with that of theorist Adam Smith and his observations in Wealth of Nations. Highly recommended for anyone with interests in technological determinism and the history of energy more broadly.

Reviewed in the United States on March 30, 2012

Verified Purchase

Mr. Wrigley has written a very impressive book on the English industrial revolution. Actually this book is a trailblazer for economic history and the importance of energy and energy development in economic growth. Mr. Wrigley begins with the concept of an organic economy. In the organic economy land is the source of all food, natural resources, and energy. Quoting Mr. Wrigley "All industrial production depended vegetable or animal raw materials. This is self-evidently true of industries such as woollen textile production or shoemaking but is also true of iron smelting or pottery manufacturing, although their raw materials were mineral, since production was possible by making use of a source of heat and this came from burning wood or charcoal. Thus the production horizon for all organic economies was set by the annual cycle of plant growth." The amount of energy absorbed by plants from the sun from photosynthesis set the ceiling for productive capacity. Thus economic production was limited. Most people lived in squalor and poverty without luxuries or much medical care. When populations grew living standards fell due to the production constraint. Then malnutrition and disease reduced population to a supportable level.

The English industrial revolution, by developing the coal industry, and obtaining greater and greater quantities of energy from coal broke free from the constraint of plant growth and escaped the organic economy. From greater quantities of energy it was possible to build better transportation, develop new industries, and provide better lives for the populace. Low cost and available coal energy made possible the steam engine, the railroad, and many other labor saving innovations. These inventions made more goods available to the population and further improved the lives of the population.

Interestingly, the escape from the organic economy remained unseen by the Classical economists. Classical economists Adam Smith, David Ricardo, Thomas Malthus all accepted as the given the constraints of the organic economy. Thus the limits set by the supply of land figured in the economic models of all these economists. It was only later that economists did not accept land as a severely limiting constraint on production. It is to the credit of Mr. Wrigley that he describes the Classical economist's theories with respect to land and energy in some detail.

Mr. Wrigley goes into great detail on the English population statistics and demonstrates how the rising quantities of energy coincided with the growth of the new industrial cities and the capital London. He demonstrates that increasing non-plant based energy supplies were a necessary condition for industrial growth and rising living standards. He details the revolutions in the transport and consumer goods industries.

In essence Mr. Wrigley has done excellent service in debunking the eco freak argument that hydrocarbon and nuclear energy are bad and the world can rely solely of renewable energy. The solar and wind based renewable energy are very much dependent on the solar output and solar induced air wind streams. Thus hydrocarbon fuels and nuclear fuels such as uranium and thorium are the only real sources of human development and prosperity.

I took off one star from this book, however, for two reasons. One reason is that Mr. Wrigley complacently accepts the anthropogenic global warming hoax involving carbon based fuels. This false theory is propounded by politicized global elitists and has been refuted by genuine scientific data.

The second reason is that Mr. Wrigley ignorantly assumes that hydrocarbon fuels come solely from degenerated plant and animal life. This theory has been rigorously refuted by Thomas Gold in this book The Deep Hot Biosphere : The Myth of Fossil Fuels . Notice that other planets such Saturn"s moon Titan have extensive hydrocarbon fuel surface deposits without a history of plant and animal life.

6 people found this helpful

Helpful

Alice Friedemann

What life was like with wood, then coal, and in the future after oil, gas, and coal decline

Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2019

I’ve made a strong case in my book “When trucks stop running” and the energyskeptic website that we will eventually return to wood and a 14th century lifestyle after fossil fuels are depleted.

So if you’re curious about what that lifestyle will be like, and how coal changed everything, this is the book for you.

One point stressed several times is that in all organic economies a steady state exists. Or as economists put it, that there were just three “components essential in all material production; capital, labor, and land. The first two could be expanded as necessary to match increased demand, but the third could not, and rising pressure on this inflexible resource arrested growth and depressed the return to capital and the reward of labor.”

Then along came coal (and today oil and natural gas), which for a few centuries removed land as a limiting factor (though we’re awfully close the Malthusian limits as well, population is growing, cropland is shrinking as development builds over the best farm land near cities, which exist where they do because that was good crop land).

In today’s world, energy set the limits to growth, but in the future land once again will. So will the quality of roads, how many forests exist whose wood can be gotten to towns and cities, and so on. So if you’re in a transition town group or in other ways trying to make the future better, perhaps this book will give you some ideas.

If this world is too painful to contemplate, read some books about the Amish, which would be an ideal society for me minus the religious side of it.

Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2014

When people use the term "magisterial", this is the kind of book they mean. It is an education in how to use data and statistical analysis to evaluate a variety of simultaneously shifting social dynamics. But what makes this book important is not the rethinking of the Industrial Revolution it provokes, but the profound question it forces on the reader about whether it is possible for a society like ours to live "organically" again in the aftermath of the fossil fuel explosion this book narrates. I came away from reading this book more pessimistic about our prospects than from 50 books I have read on climate change, etc.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Douglas E Walker

Energy sources utilised during the English Industrial Revolution

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 14, 2014

Verified Purchase

As the title conveys the book concentrated upon energy sources utilised during the Industrial Revolution, which were very comprehensivelly dealt with. This covered a wide range of energy sources from the use of horses and human energy, to energy from coal utilising steam power. The style adopted was eminently readable, and was comprehensive and informative.

2 people found this helpful

Joshua Maciel

Long and Dry

Reviewed in Japan on August 17, 2014

Verified Purchase

Let me save you the trouble of struggling through this book. The main point is that prior to the industrial revolution, the economy was based solely on what value could be gotten from the land. That meant that if you wanted to make high-energy resources like metal or glass, you had to devote some significant land to making firewood. If you wanted to support giant populations, you needed to devote more to food. Land used for food can't be used for firewood simultaneously, so the pre-industrial revolution economy was limited by the amount of resources that could be gotten from the land.

Enter coal. Coal allowed us to use energy stored long ago to propel our economy beyond the limits of the land. It entirely changed the way the economy operated, and was the reason that so many inventions from cities, to mass manufacturing, to mass transportation became possible.

This would be a great book if it had a great editor. As written, it is a chore to wade through, and doesn't provide enough payoff for the effort in my opinion.

See more reviews

Unsupported image file format.

Image file size is too large.

Return this item for free

Shipping & Fee Details

Return instructions

Return instructions

Image Unavailable

Follow the author