Revolution in Time: Clocks and the Making of the Modern World

First edition, sixth printing, published by the Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts. The printing is identified by the publisher's number line ending in 6. Paperback edition in the original illustrated wrappers. Very Good condition. The covers exhibit light surface rubbing and minor wear to the edges and corners. The binding is sound, and the text is unmarked throughout. David S. Landes (1924-2013), professor of history and economics at Harvard University, was one of the foremost economic historians of the twentieth century, particularly recognised for his investigations into technological development and the historical circumstances underlying industrialisation. Revolution in Time is among his most substantial works, examining the development of mechanical timekeeping and its relationship to the emergence of modern industrial societies. Beginning with early methods of measuring time, Landes traces the development of clocks and watches through medieval Europe, the Renaissance and the Industrial Revolution, exploring the technical innovations through which increasingly precise timekeeping became possible. Particular attention is devoted to the mechanical clock, the development of the escapement, the introduction of pendulum mechanisms, the refinement of portable watches and the eventual establishment of increasingly sophisticated standards of accuracy. Beyond the technical history of horology, Landes investigates the economic and social consequences of these developments, considering the relationship between timekeeping and commercial organisation, the regulation of labour, navigation, industrial production and the increasingly systematic coordination of everyday activity. Central to his historical argument is the distinctive importance of mechanical timekeeping in the development of European economic institutions, alongside the cultural circumstances through which the measurement of time acquired an unprecedented degree of social authority. Landes also examines the international watchmaking industry, including the historical prominence of British craftsmanship, the development of Swiss manufacturing and the emergence of American methods of industrial production. Combining technological history with economic history, Revolution in Time remains an important contribution to the historiography of horology and industrial civilisation, particularly for its examination of how an apparently specialised technological development became integral to the organisation of modern society.…