Comments on: Business History Bleg: British Trading Houses

By: brayden

brayden — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 17:28:12 +0000

I’m not particularly fond of his theoretical point-of-view but Andre Gunder Frank has written a ton on the economic development of Asia and its role in the modern world system. I’m sure there’s something there about trading companies. Check out his book, Reorient: Global Economy in the Asian Age.

By: Andre Sammartino

Andre Sammartino — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 01:42:55 +0000

He might want to look at:

Jones, G. Merchants to Multinationals. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000.

Jones, G., and Judith Wale. “Merchants as Business Groups: British Trading Companies in Asia before 1945.” Business History Review 72, no. 3 (autumn 1998): 367-408.

Stanley D. Chapman, “British-Based
Investment Groups before 1914,” Economic History Review, 2nd series, 38 (1985): 230-51

By: K. Tang

K. Tang — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 22:15:13 +0000

Is there anyone can suggest relevant resources regarding international trade and the rise of financial empire in 19th century as well? I am so interested in the term of “gentlemanly capitalist” which denotes to the financial investors in London in the 19th century.

By: Harry

Harry — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 16:00:30 +0000

Some time ago, an episode in the BBC documetairy series ‘Who Do You Think You Are?” traced the ancestry of the person who is the central figure in that episode back to the founders of Jardine Matheson. Maybe this is a worthwhile lead.

By: Dave

Dave — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 15:31:47 +0000

Do you know The Taipans: Hong Kong’s Merchant Princes
by Colin Crisswell. Also, I think G. Jones has written on this, but I don’t have the references to hand.

By: Brian Pitt

Brian Pitt — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 11:55:00 +0000

Good work Dr. Klein,

Your student may wish to look over the work of Victor Nee (Center for the Study of Economy and Society) at Cornell. As far as I know, he is the foremost scholar on Japanese political, cultural, and economic development.