6th Edition

The Industrial Revolution in World History

By Peter N. Stearns Copyright 2026
300 Pages 21 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

300 Pages 21 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

300 Pages 21 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

Now in its sixth edition, this book explores the ways in which the industrial revolution reshaped world history, covering the international factors that helped launch the industrial revolution, its global spread and its impact from the end of the eighteenth century to the present day. The single most important development in human history over the past three centuries, the industrial revolution... Read more

1. Introduction: Defining the Industrial Revolution  Part I: The First Phase, 1760-1880: Western Primacy, Global Contexts and Global Results  2. Britain’s Revolution: New Processes and Economic Transformation  3. New Causes: Why Did the Industrial Revolution Happen, and Why Did It Happen in Eighteenth-Century Britain  4. The Industrial Revolution in Western Society  5. The Social Impact of the Industrial Revolution  6. The Impact on the World Economy  Part II: The Second Phase, 1880–1950: The New International Cast  7. The Industrial Revolution Changes Stripes, 1880–1950  8. The Industrial Revolution in Russia  9. The Industrial Revolution in Japan  10. New Developments in Western Societies: A Second Revolution? Redefinitions of the Industrial Economy  11. The Industrial Revolution in International Context  Part III: The Third Phase, 1950–Present: Global Intensification  12. The Industrial Revolution in the Contemporary World  13. The New Industrial Revolutions: Transforming the International Balance Sheet  14. China’s Breakthrough: Another Big Industrial Revolution  15. Advanced Industrial Economies: Another Revolution?  16. Globalization, Progress and Exploitation: A New World Economy  17. Global Industry and the Environment  18. Disruptions and New Directions in the Industrial World  19. Conclusion: Industrialization as an Ongoing Process  20. Suggestions for Further Reading

Biography

Peter N. Stearns is University Professor and Provost Emeritus at George Mason University, USA.