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sksrenninger's review against another edition
4.0
An in-depth work of impressive scope; a staggering amount of research. I loved this book for its conversion of mercantilism (abstract, vague, foreign) into war capitalism, and the insight that reframe allows for. I also really enjoyed the lens on the rise of the US—I find the economic case for our country's center-stage position to be more satisfying than a purely values-based explanation. I couldn't quite put my finger on the author's underlying agenda here, aside from the value of being an informed consumer of capitalism, and that let me disconcerted.
henrismum's review against another edition
informative
reflective
slow-paced
3.0
Audiobook (All of my entries on The Story Graph are audiobooks.)
Why I added this book to my TBR pile: I had this in the pile for years. I guess it sounded interesting because the subject was global and the time period nearly eternal.
The narrator was Jim Frangione. He was the best narrator for a book over 20 hours long on the subject of cotton.
Why I added this book to my TBR pile: I had this in the pile for years. I guess it sounded interesting because the subject was global and the time period nearly eternal.
The narrator was Jim Frangione. He was the best narrator for a book over 20 hours long on the subject of cotton.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Classism, Colonisation, and Slavery
gregbrown's review against another edition
4.0
Make no mistake: this isn't one of those cutesy pop-history books that focus in on a single subject, but an extraordinary work of history making extraordinary claims. Beckert's book is a history of power. Power deployed by the state in concert with merchants and creditors. Power used to subjugate land and people towards the goal of growing and manufacturing cotton goods. Power that upended entire cultures just to get what it wanted.
For being just 450 pages (if we aren't counting the footnotes), Empire of Cotton is a long and slow read. The writing's clear and consistent throughout, but there's none of the pleasure in storytelling that you'd see in, say, Judt's Postwar. And at times the book is too encyclopedic to step up the pace. But man, this is an Important Book that I found utterly stimulating despite itself. Good stuff.
For being just 450 pages (if we aren't counting the footnotes), Empire of Cotton is a long and slow read. The writing's clear and consistent throughout, but there's none of the pleasure in storytelling that you'd see in, say, Judt's Postwar. And at times the book is too encyclopedic to step up the pace. But man, this is an Important Book that I found utterly stimulating despite itself. Good stuff.
entropydoc's review
informative
slow-paced
3.0
So informative. A little boring, as sometimes information is.
cancermoononhigh's review against another edition
3.0
This is a very detailed book - incredibly well written and packed full with information
Cotton is appeared to be this wonderful substance that humans can't live without. Unfortunately the history of cotton is anything but wonderful. Cotton was the accelerator for human productivity and capitalism. Cotton also helped the raise of other industries such as the railroad industry and the iron industry. Some could say the industrial revolution was started because of the need for Cotton.
The United States began as a huge contributor to the Cotton industry. 68% of cotton entering the United Kingdom came from the states, but it was on the back of slave labor. Slavery helped the cotton industry grow large and fast. What helped America grow so cotton so fast was that the planters had an unlimited supply of land, labor and capital. The civil war of course changed all of that. The crisis of the Civil War sent Europeans in desperate need of another source of cotton. India and Egyptian cotton got their foot in the door during that time. After the Civil War a majority of white farmers in Georgia took up the cotton industry.
Unlike the United States, other areas of the world did not use slave labor. Instead the rest of the world used the powerful new system of wage labor. The cotton manufacturing world under this wage labor became the most female dominated manufacturing industry to emerge in the 18th and 19th century. Women dominated the industry in the United States, Europe and eventually Japan. Interestingly, in Mexico and Egypt males dominated the workforce. Partly because women's labor was cheaper - they were paid 40-50% cheaper than their male counterparts. Workers' struggles lead to better wages and shorter hours.
After World War I Europe's biggest exporters for cotton was China, India, and Asian countries such as Singapore, because of lower wages and less restrictions on the Cotton industries in those countries. By 1963 Europe's dominance over the cotton industry came to an end. There are only 25 thousand cotton farmers in the United States. China supplies the U.S. with 40% of their cotton, followed by Vietnam, Indonesia, Mexico, India and so on.
Cotton is appeared to be this wonderful substance that humans can't live without. Unfortunately the history of cotton is anything but wonderful. Cotton was the accelerator for human productivity and capitalism. Cotton also helped the raise of other industries such as the railroad industry and the iron industry. Some could say the industrial revolution was started because of the need for Cotton.
The United States began as a huge contributor to the Cotton industry. 68% of cotton entering the United Kingdom came from the states, but it was on the back of slave labor. Slavery helped the cotton industry grow large and fast. What helped America grow so cotton so fast was that the planters had an unlimited supply of land, labor and capital. The civil war of course changed all of that. The crisis of the Civil War sent Europeans in desperate need of another source of cotton. India and Egyptian cotton got their foot in the door during that time. After the Civil War a majority of white farmers in Georgia took up the cotton industry.
Unlike the United States, other areas of the world did not use slave labor. Instead the rest of the world used the powerful new system of wage labor. The cotton manufacturing world under this wage labor became the most female dominated manufacturing industry to emerge in the 18th and 19th century. Women dominated the industry in the United States, Europe and eventually Japan. Interestingly, in Mexico and Egypt males dominated the workforce. Partly because women's labor was cheaper - they were paid 40-50% cheaper than their male counterparts. Workers' struggles lead to better wages and shorter hours.
After World War I Europe's biggest exporters for cotton was China, India, and Asian countries such as Singapore, because of lower wages and less restrictions on the Cotton industries in those countries. By 1963 Europe's dominance over the cotton industry came to an end. There are only 25 thousand cotton farmers in the United States. China supplies the U.S. with 40% of their cotton, followed by Vietnam, Indonesia, Mexico, India and so on.
sarahjsnider's review against another edition
4.0
This book goes into a lot of detail, and I will admit to skimming some sections. That said, it was mostly engaging and illuminated the impact of cotton and capitalism on the world's history. And boy, what an impact--I'm already avoiding fast fashion, and this will reinforce that for me.