Publisher's Synopsis
This study reveals how early English shipowners developed the size and structure of their business, the types of vessels they used, the cargoes they carried, the freights they paid and the profits they earned. Broader conclusions also emerge about the development of the shipping industry as a whole in this critical period of the Industrial Revolution, such as the structure of firms, the manner in which entrepreneurs responded to the wartime economy, and the reasons why most shipping enterprises were short-lived.
