A clear-eyed look at Britain’s economy during a time of war and empire.
This nonfiction work analyzes how trade, finances, and colonial policy shaped the nation’s prosperity and burden. It uses concrete examples to show how loans, premiums, taxes, and running expenses affected every part of society, from merchants to farmers and colonial administrations.
The book frames difficult questions about how to fund defense, support manufacturers, and manage imperial revenues. It explains how shifting trade patterns, foreign shipping, and colonial duties influenced national wealth and policy choices. Readers gain a grounded view of the connections between government finance and everyday life in Britain and its empire.
- How war financing influenced public debt and taxation.
- How colonial revenue and duties align with imperial strategy.
- The economic effects of trade imbalances, shipping, and bullion flows.
- Arguments for a practical, fiscally responsible approach to Parliament and the king.
Ideal for readers interested in economic history, eighteenth‑century policy debates, and the forces that shaped Britain’s modern financial system.